School vacancies crisis adds to chaos [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 28 December 2010
DELAYS in the long-promised filling of management vacancies in dozens of primary schools are adding to chaos, teachers have claimed.
More than 120 primary schools applied, to mid-September, for exemption from a ban on filling middle management positions below principal and deputy principal level.
They were responding to an initiative by Education Minister Mary Coughlan to alleviate the difficulties the public service promotion moratorium has created for schools with high numbers of vacancies through retirement or holders of the jobs being appointed principal.
Last month, the Irish Examiner reported that just over 60 out of around 1,500 vacant posts in second-level had so far been filled under the scheme, aimed only at assisting the worst-affected schools.
However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) claims that the primary schools that had applied for relief under the scheme have not yet heard from the department. Most of them had responded to a survey of 220 large primary schools, which found that one-in-four assistant principal jobs have been lost in those schools, and significant numbers of special duties posts have been lost.
"The delay in responding to schools is completely unacceptable and the department must issue positive responses to schools immediately. It is unfair and unrealistic to expect modern well-managed schools without the necessary resources," said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
They were responding to an initiative by Education Minister Mary Coughlan to alleviate the difficulties the public service promotion moratorium has created for schools with high numbers of vacancies through retirement or holders of the jobs being appointed principal.
Last month, the Irish Examiner reported that just over 60 out of around 1,500 vacant posts in second-level had so far been filled under the scheme, aimed only at assisting the worst-affected schools.
However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) claims that the primary schools that had applied for relief under the scheme have not yet heard from the department. Most of them had responded to a survey of 220 large primary schools, which found that one-in-four assistant principal jobs have been lost in those schools, and significant numbers of special duties posts have been lost.
"The delay in responding to schools is completely unacceptable and the department must issue positive responses to schools immediately. It is unfair and unrealistic to expect modern well-managed schools without the necessary resources," said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
