IPPN

EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe was yesterday called on to apologise to teachers for making an "outrageous slur" on the number of 'sickies' they were taking.

The call from Fine Gael Education spokesman Brian Hayes came in the wake of new figures showing that teachers take an average of two days due to uncertified sick leave.

The issue of teacher sick days had previously been used to defend cuts of almost €30m in the supervision and substitution budget.

Yesterday it was revealed that secondary school teachers take 2.81 days of 'sickies' while those in primary take 1.98 days.

And, the average level of uncertified sick leave, for which substitution cover was claimed, is just 1.31 days for primary school teachers and 1.6 days for teachers in secondary and community/ comprehensive schools.

Mr Hayes told the Dail that the minister had been pointing out for weeks that there was a major problem with teachers and sick leave.

He said the minister had claimed that on Mondays throughout 2008 there were in excess of 12,500 teachers absent on uncertified sick leave and that there was a similar number absent on Fridays.

The comments which were made at a Joint Committee on Education and Science had deliberately misled the members attending, he said.

The minister had fought a "dirty little war"with Irish teachers, he said.

- Patricia McDonagh