IPPN

A tiny number of teachers are giving the profession a 'bad name' by taking an excessive number of uncertified sick leave days per year.

New figures show that last year more than 1,000 teachers took 10 or more days without a doctor's cert. Thirty-eight teachers took more than 20 uncertified sick days.

Under existing regulations, primary teachers can take a maximum of 31 uncertified sick leave days in a school year; teachers in secondary and community/comprehensive schools can take up to 30 uncertified sick leave days but in VEC schools the max is seven days.

Despite this generous provision, official figures show that overall teacher absentee rate is low. Last year the average level of uncertified sick leave for primary teachers for which substitute claims were submitted was 1.31 days. The average for secondary and community/comprehensive schools was 1.6 days.

Majority

Unions and managers are adamant that there is no major problem with uncertified sick leave among the vast majority of the country's 60,000 teachers.

But Clive Byrne director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies accepted that a tiny minority was dragging the profession down and giving it a bad name.

Ferdia Kelly from the secondary school managers' body, the JMB, said he was not aware of any major difficulty but acknowledged that it was an issue for a small minority.

"Obviously, every sector would like all employees to be at work every day." He said the managers were focussed on the situation in January when substitution cover for uncertified leave is withdrawn. They are seeking a meeting with Minister O'Keefe and, if no change is forthcoming, will meet to draw up guidelines for schools.

John Carr, general secretary of the INTO, said what the figures do not record are the thousands of days where teachers who are ill report for duty because substitute teachers cannot be found.

- John Walshe and Fiach Kelly