IPPN

U-turn fails to satisfy teachers as 40,000 get set to march

Published: 06 December 2008

By Jennifer Hough
DESPITE his U-turn on supervision cover this week, Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe continued to come under fire from teachers and unions ahead of today's mammoth Dublin protest.

Mr O'Keeffe's pledge to make €2.7 million available for secondary school substitute teachers has done nothing to quell anger among teachers and parents, 40,000 of whom are expected to march to Merrion Square for an emotive rally.

Mr O'Keeffe announced the deal with school managers to provide funding for teachers until the end of the school year on Thursday, but added there would be a full review of the substitution and supervision scheme in that period.

While Mr O'Keeffe said he would be open to similar suggestions for a way forward with the primary school sector, general secretary of Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) John Carr said there had been no engagement with the union.

Mr Carr accused Mr O'Keeffe of spinning the story and said comments made by the minister effectively accusing 12,500 teachers of "pulling sickies" were inaccurate and damaging.

"It is on the record at Leinster House that 12,500 teachers are 'taking sickies' on Mondays and Fridays.

"This is completely inaccurate," said Mr Carr.

Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes said although Mr O'Keeffe had admitted he was wrong in this regard, it should be backed up by an apology.

"Batt O'Keeffe's scare-mongering and his misleading statements are insulting to teachers, children and their parents.

"He should get his facts right and focus on children and the effects cutbacks are having on the quality of their education," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Carr said the issue of substitute teachers was far more complex at primary level.

"The primary sector is different as we don't have teachers with free periods, and will have to split classes or send children home," he said.

"This causes disruption and children with special needs cannot be cared for properly under these circumstances."

Mr Carr warned Mr O'Keeffe's deal was "too little too late" and there were many other issues which needed be addressed such as class sizes and newcomer children.

Mr O'Keeffe said he felt strongly that there was a more efficient way of operating supervision systems, and was encouraged that management bodies had said they can make an immediate saving of €16m.

Today's march is organised by the INTO, the Teachers Union of Ireland, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Irish Federation of University Teachers.

Protesters will assemble on the north side of Parnell Square from noon, moving to Merrion Square at 1pm for a rally.

O'Keeffe in partial climbdown over substitute teachers' pay

Published: 05 December 2008

Source : Irish Independent
By John Walshe and Patricia McDonagh

Friday December 05 2008

Threatened chaos in schools next month has been averted by a partial climbdown by Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe over paying substitute teachers.

The minister insisted last night it was not a U-turn but represented a "fair and balanced decision" taken after "constructive suggestions" from the education partners.

The rowback follows a series of U-turns by the Government, who are still reeling from the medical card fiasco and controversy over the disability allowance and the income levy.

It comes just before the biggest protest to date over the education cuts when more than 30,000 people are expected to march in Dublin tomorrow.

The change follows behind-the-scenes contacts between the department and secondary school managers who had warned of very serious consequences if the original decision to ban substitution for teachers on uncertified sick leave or on official school business were implemented.

The original decision would have saved €21m but would almost certainly have resulted in schools being closed or pupils sent home and the collapse of many out-of-school activities.

Mr O'Keeffe said he intended replacing the existing 'demand-led' availability of cover for uncertified sick leave and official school business with an allocated or budgeted scheme costing €5m per year.

He said he is making available €2.7m to second-level schools for the remainder of the school year. This will provide each school with a limited number of hours of cover outside of the regular supervision and substitution scheme.

The minister said he intends that there will be a full review of the substitution and supervision scheme in conjunction with the school management bodies and teacher unions with a view to making up this additional €2.7m.

The minister added that he would also be open to similar constructive suggestions from primary school management bodies. At present, 40,800 teachers opt to do 37 hours of supervision and substitution per year for which they get an additional allowance of €1,789.

The Irish Independent understands that more emphasis will be placed on the substitution aspect in future. Also, teachers who have free classes when students are out on school business will be under pressure to substitute for absent colleagues.

The minister's announcement was welcomed last night by the second-level school management bodies and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.

But it got a more muted response from the Teachers Union of Ireland, whose general secretary, Peter MacMenamin, said it might "keep second-level schools open in some circumstances".

"However, we do not believe it goes far enough to alleviate the problems caused by the absence of teachers on legitimate school business," he added. "Unless provision for paid substitute cover is increa- sed further, this amendment will only act as a light plaster over a gaping flesh wound in our education system."

Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes said the rowback on substitute teaching will still leave a massive black hole for schools.

- John Walshe and Patricia McDonagh

Substitution deal ends threat of disruption in secondary school

Published: 05 December 2008

Source : Irish Times

WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION in second-level schools over substitution cover has been averted after a compromise deal between Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe and school managers.

The Minister has agreed to row back on some budget cutbacks of substitution cover after school managers agreed to €16 million in savings.

The move comes ahead of tomorrow's protest march against the education cutbacks, expected to attract more than 40,000 teachers, parents and other protesters.

Under the deal, the Minister has agreed to make an additional €2.7 million available to schools until next June to offset the budget cuts in teacher substitution cover for uncertified sick leave and for teachers on official school business.

A further €2.3 million is expected to be allocated to schools to cover the period between September and the end of next year after a review of substitution cover.

Irish National Teachers' Organisation general secretary John Carr said the compromise was the "first acknowledgement by the Minister of the chaos his budget cutbacks would cause". However, the Minister's spokesman stressed that " very significant savings'' had been achieved. He said the deal was an example of the Minister working constructively with the education partners.

The march marks the culmination of a month-long campaign against the education cuts which increased class size and cut funding for a range of groups including disadvantaged pupils and newcomer children. Already more than 35,000 people have attended marches in Cork, Donegal, Tullamore and Galway.

The deal on substitution means the prospect of children being sent home and second-level schools closing next month has receded. It also lifts the threat to school sports and other extra curricular activities. The agreement puts the onus on the Minister and primary school managers to agree a similar compromise deal. With the Minister seeking savings of just €7 million in substitution costs at primary level, there was confidence last night a compromise was possible before primary schools reopen after the Christmas break.

The agreement replaces the old system of open-ended substitution cover with a new block grant regime. This will give schools the discretion to decide on how funds covering uncertified sick leave and official school business should be spent. Unions say only about 20 days a year will be available to each school.

Last night, Mr O'Keeffe said the new system will provide each school with a limited number of hours of substitution cover outside of the supervision and substitution scheme.

The general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body for Secondary Schools, Ferdia Kelly, welcomed the deal. Teachers' Union of Ireland general secretary Peter MacMenamin said the deal did not go far enough. "Unless provision for paid substitute cover is increased further, this amendment will only act as a light plaster over a gaping flesh wound in our education system."

O'Keeffe reveals extra €2.7m for supervision cover

Published: 05 December 2008

Source : Irish Times

AN ALLOCATION of an extra €2.7 million for supervision cover in second-level schools was announced by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe.

Mr O'Keeffe said the funding was for the remainder of the school year to provide limited hours of substitution cover outside of the supervision and the substitution scheme.

"I intend that, during this period, there will be a full review of the substitution and supervision scheme, in conjunction with school management bodies and teachers' union, with a view to taking up this additional €2.7 million expenditure," he added.

Mr O'Keeffe said he would also be open to similar constructive suggestions from the primary school management bodies.

Meanwhile, Mr O'Keeffe was accused by Fine Gael spokesman Brian Hayes of engaging in a "dirty little war" with teachers and told that he owed them an apology, amid sharp Dáil exchanges.

Mr Hayes claimed the Minister had been putting about for the past month or so that there was a major problem of teachers taking "sickies". However, he said, Mr O'Keeffe had revealed to the House that somewhere between one and two days on average was lost every year, while in the Department of Education last year close to nine days on average were lost per official.

"I want the Minister to apologise to the teachers of this country for the outrageous slur that he and his department have put about the place for the past month or so as a means of attacking teachers and their representatives," Mr Hayes added.

"Will he apologise now? The information the Minister has given this House completely demolishes the outrageous spin that he has been putting out in the past month."

Mr O'Keeffe replied that he did not write editorial headlines.

"Any information put out was on the basis of the facts. The facts are that I have a serious difficulty with the cost of substitution days, whether for uncertified sick leave, sick leave or other substitution," he added.

"The costs have grown enormously. I do not have the funds to meet those costs. It is my job to point out exactly the number of days that are lost."

Mr Hayes said that the figure was 1.9 days.

"It is 2.81 days in the second level and two days in the primary, and they teach 163 days of the year," said Mr O'Keeffe.

The facts were, the Minister added, that there had been a substantial growth in the cost of substitution, sick days and uncertified sick leave, and the funding was not there to meet those costs.

Mr Hayes asked if the Minister would agree that there was not a problem of absenteeism among the primary and scondary schoolteachers in the State.

Mr O'Keeffe replied: "Of course, on the average of the Civil Service, by and large there is no difference across the board."

Minister told to say sorry for 'sickie' error

Published: 05 December 2008

Source : Irish Independent

By Patricia McDonagh
Friday December 05 2008

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