10% of substitute posts filled by retired teachers [eircom.net]
- Published: 19 October 2010
Fine Gael criticised the practice at a time when thousands of newly-qualified teachers cannot find a job and called on Education Minister Mary Coughlan to free up all casual and substitute teaching hours for unemployed teachers.
Party education spokes- man Fergus O'Dowd was told by the minister, in reply to a parliamentary question, that almost 400 retired teachers were paid for substitute work in primary and second-level schools.
The data relates to the school year up to September 30 but does not include substitute work in around 240 vocational sector schools or work not yet claimed for by schools.
At primary level, the 302 retirees paid for substitution duties represented around 8% of teachers for whom claims were made by schools last month.
"How can the Education Minister Mary Coughlan credibly stand over a policy of giving retired teachers jobs while thousands of newly-qualified teachers can't get one? The practice of employing retired teachers for substitute work has gone on unchecked within the education system for too long," Mr O'Dowd said.
Full Story: news.eircom.net
