Circulars to issue confirming interim arrangements for substitution in schools for rest of school year
- Published: 12 December 2008
Source: D.E.S
Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD confirmed that the circulars setting out interim arrangements for substitution in schools for rest of school year are to be published by his Department early next week.
This follows the conclusion of discussions with the management bodies of post-primary and primary schools concerning proposals they made in relation to aspects of the current arrangements for supervision and substitution and related matters where savings and efficiencies can be made. These included the identification by post-primary management bodies of annual savings of €16 million on substitution costs and how these savings can be made not only in the current year but on a continuing basis in future years.
Last week the Minister indicated in the Dáil that he was prepared to approve interim arrangements for certain substitution cover in schools for the remainder of the current school year and to make limited additional funding available. Under these arrangements each post-primary school will have available to it a defined number of hours of substitution cover outside of the existing supervision and substitution scheme.
In primary schools there will be substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave other than on the first day of absence. In a school where more than one teacher is absent on the first day of uncertified sick leave, substitute cover will be provided for the second and subsequent teachers that are absent. In schools with two teachers or less cover will be provided where any classroom teacher is absent. The interim arrangements for primary schools have an estimated cost of €2m.
The Minister announced last week that in the period until the end of the school year, there will be a full review of the substitution and supervision scheme and related matters in conjunction with the school management bodies and teacher unions with a view to making up the additional expenditure and thereby ensuring that the budgetary parameters are met.
ENDS
