Schools in move to bypass new 'sick note' clampdown
- Published: 19 November 2008
Source : Irish Independent
John Walshe Education Editor
PRIMARY schools will consider paying doctors' fees for sick teachers in a bid to bypass the Government's clampdown on substitute cover.
Until now, schools were paid to cover for both certified and uncertified illness among teachers.
But from January the Government will no longer pay for cover for uncertified sick leave.
The head of Educate Together said boards of management had done the sums and the Government could end up paying more for substitute cover.
"Boards of management realise they would be better off even if they had to pay for the teacher's visit to the doctor," said Educate Together chief executive Paul Rowe.
"Some, no doubt, are sounding out sympathetic doctors to negotiate discounts on fees."
The only other option would be for committed but ill teachers to come into work. But this would spread contagious illnesses further and increase the level of certified sick leave, said Mr Rowe, whose organisation is the patron body for 55 multi-denominational schools.
This year the Government is paying out €45m for certified sick leave and €17m for uncertified sick leave.
But Mr Rowe said he believed that "the State, in refusing to fund the school for the uncertified one- or two-day absence, will end up paying the certified absence of five or more days".
Irish National Teachers' Organisation general secretary John Carr said the minister was, in effect, asking schools to pay for a substitute or for a medical certificate.
"This is totally unacceptable, given the state of school finances," said Mr Carr. He believed that the option of sending children home when a teacher is ill is now firmly on the educational agenda.
"The only one who can stop this is the Minister for Education and Science," he added.
The INTO described the budget decision to withdraw substitute cover from teachers who are on uncertified sick leave as "madness".
"It will inflict enormous damage on schools up and down the country. What is bizarre is that the turmoil and disorder this measure will cause will end up costing government more not less money," Mr Carr added.
Both groups insisted that the level of absences on uncertified sick leave was very low, especially in comparison with other groups.
Don Ryan, Teachers' Union of Ireland president, said he would be unhappy if second-level teachers were encouraged to seek doctors' certs while Clive Byrne of the National Association of Principals and Deputies said it would change the relationships between principals and teachers. Meanwhile, second-level managerial groups are holding separate meetings this week to discuss the effects of the ban. Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the secondary managers' body, the JMB, said one final attempt would be made to try to persuade the Department to change its mind.
