Over 500 retired teachers employed during last school year

Figures showing over 500 retired teachers were employed during the last school year have prompted fresh calls for newly-qualified graduates to be prioritised in teaching recruitment.

The Department of Education said a total of 537 retired teachers were employed during the 2013/14 school year.

These comprised 302 retired primary teachers and 235 retired secondary teachers in the community and comprehensive sector.

Thirty eight per cent of those teachers worked the equivalent of five days or less during the entire school year.

The department said this was the most recent information available on retired teachers employed by managerial authorities of schools. Figures for 2014/15 were unavailable, and so too 2012/13.

However, the department said that in the 2011/12 school year 1,391 retired teachers were employed: 847 retired primary teachers and 544 retired secondary teachers.

Fifty per cent of those teachers worked the equivalent of 5 days or less during the entire school year.

In response to a parliamentary question by Fianna Fáil’s education spokesman Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan said the employment of teachers was a matter for school management authorities.

“The policy of my department is to ensure, as far as possible, that school management authorities give priority to the employment of unemployed, registered and qualified teachers when filling vacant teaching posts.

“My department has issued a number of circulars underpinning this policy in recent years.”

However, commenting on the figures, Mr McConalogue said the number of retired teachers employed last year was still “very high”, and “I don’t think the department is taking enough steps to ensure newly-qualified teachers have first call”.

He said the view of teachers he had spoken to was that the department was taking “a far too laissez-faire approach” on the matter.

“In each instance where a school takes on a retired teacher it should have to notify to the department to say why it’s necessary to do so rather than take on a newly-qualified or active teacher,” he said.