Education Minister must clarify status of permanent contracts
Education Minister must clarify status of permanent contracts - The Labour Party
Labour education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Minister to clarify if permanent contracts will be available for all teachers seeking permanent positions, or just newly qualified teachers.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The Minister must clarify the situation as it relates to permanent contracts for teachers. Do the measures announced yesterday apply to all teachers looking for a permanent position, or just for newly qualified teachers.
“It strikes me as strange that the measures relating to permanency would only apply to newly qualified teachers as her social media messaging appears to suggest. The crisis with recruitment and retention relates to teachers across the board, not just those who will come into the classroom this September.
“It would be deeply unfair for teachers who are just starting out to leapfrog their peers who have scraped for permanent contracts for years.
“Unfortunately, the Minister appears to misunderstand the issues facing teachers nationwide. The recruitment system is in a shambles, and that’s before we even get into the details around the high cost of living, lack of affordable housing, class sizes and lack of supports in the classroom.
“Permanent contacts are needed, but we need to ensure that these are full time contacts, not just 12/13 hour contracts.
“The Minister must clarify if the permanent contracts will be given to all teachers who are looking, and crucially, that if she can guarantee that these permanent contracts will be full time positions.”