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khan86

Haven't posted on here in quite awhile but after talking to a couple of people who were very little help I thought I'd give this place a try. I've been teaching 3 years, heading into my 4th year in September. I had two consecutive years in a school with part-time hours but no hours meant moving to a new school this year to cover a maternity leave until Easter. The school has been great and I've had some learning support and subbing until the end of the year. As it turns out, I'm getting another maternity leave contract in this school in September. They have been very transparent and told me it is unlikely there will be availability in my subjects after the maternity leave comes to an end (even with 9 retirements this year!:eek:) so they advised me to keep an eye out for contracts that would be my own hours over the summer. Yesterday, I was offered 20 of my own hours in my subjects in a fee-paying school. It is to replace a teacher who retired but is not being replaced by the department as they are over quota and it will be privately paid by the school. They are very keen for me to work for them due to good references. They told me they gave another teacher a CID (privately paid) this year after one year in the school because they were so keen to keep them and implied this would be a possibility for me. This school is also closer to where I will be living in a couple of years. It's exactly what I've been hoping for except it is not a department job. I am aware of some differences between being employed by the department and being employed privately by a school. No pension is the biggest disadvantage. This particular school pays the staff the same wage as a department teacher. Can anyone advise me of what other disadvantages are associated with this kind of job. What is the position on union representation for privately paid teachers? I really don't know what decision to take at the minute but I have to let them know by the beginning of next week. I want my own hours but I am very reluctant to forgo a department pension for them. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

evolving_doors

As regards Union Representation it would be the ASTI... (TUI are ideologically opposed to such schools).

The real nub of your decision to go with the fee charging school (I think!) should be on the wording of the contract. Is it on a par with your colleagues, do you get the exact same increments as a dept. paid person who entered the profession at the same time, at what point of the scale do you start on? They might tell you over the phone that it is but just to be sure, get it in writing, and keep a copy.

As regards pension it's a real issue, although with the recent changes to new entrants pensions (based on career average) if you are in that cohort, and going from contract to contract on low dept. hours for a number of years, then maybe you might be better off with full hours now and a PRSA pension (which you can get some tax relief on).

Inspector Coptoor

I'm in a privately paid situation the last few years.
2 years done now in the one school & will have a private CID for 22 hours this time next year.
I'm not paying pension currently but I was for my first 3 years teaching so I've already started my pension.

I can start a private pension in my school. 5% contribution which they will match.
I will eventually be moved on to department pay but the pension levy and pension deductions will feel like a huge cut when that happens.

The school I'm in are very good. They match dept pay to the letter and I get my increment every Sept, and there's even the chance to earn some extra money with privately paid posts of responsibility.

It sounds like the private school would tick all the boxes for you. I'd say go for it

khan86

Thanks for the replies. I'm in the ASTI so should be no problem there. I'm not in the newly qualified category of teachers who got the 10% pay cut as I had some subbing during my hdip so I missed that by the skin of my teeth but because I've only had irregular hours, some of which were privately paid in a fee paying school last year I've paid very little contribution to my pension and if I keep getting bits of hours here and there that will continue so I think my own hours with the possibility of a CID fairly quickly is too good to miss. I'll just have to look at other pension options elsewhere. I will inquire about the terms of the contract and if I'm satisfied I'll take the plunge. Thanks for the help.

Supersonic42

If you leave your dept paid job for a certain length of time( can't remember exactly how long), returning will result in you being classified as a 'new entrant' for the pay scales. This will be a problem if you return to a state funded school in the future.

Inspector Coptoor

That's not true for scales but it is true for pension.

An Bradán Feasa

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

That's not true for scales but it is true for pension.

26 weeks AFAIK.