Can Primary Teachers correct Leaving Certificate Exams?

Pretty Polly

I'm a primary school teacher teaching in Dublin. While I'm very lucky and thankful that I'm permanent, between rent and all the other bills, I'm completely broke.

I was thinking of applying to correct one of the Leaving/Junior Cert papers. Are primary teachers allowed to correct papers? I've checked the application form and it's not mentioned. Does anyone here know of any primary teachers that have corrected papers? I don't even know if it would be worth it with tax @42%!!

I would really appreciate any replies.
Thank you

solerina

Usually you correct the subject you teach / are qualified to teach. I assume primary teachers wouldn't have the extensive subject specific know how needed, so I assume no, but I could be wrong !!

km79

solerina wrote: »

Usually you correct the subject you teach / are qualified to teach. I assume primary teachers wouldn't have the extensive subject specific know how needed, so I assume no, but I could be wrong !!

My neighbour corrects Junior cert English last year
They are not a teacher so apply away !

cruizer101

Yeah pretty sure you don't actually need to be a teacher to correct them.
Years ago you could become a teacher in a school without any official qualifications sure and I'm pretty sure those teachers could have corrected exams no problem.

Whether or not you would get taken on is another question, given the amount of teachers struggling to get full time contracts I would say a lot would try for correcting.

Can I suggest maybe contacting some of the mocks companies, those papers get sent of to be corrected the same as state exams except it is by private company, probably easier to get and would give experience for applying for state ones.

Edit: forgot mocks are well over at this stage, might be worth considering next year though

evolving_doors

Apply away, I think we've heard of other cases on here of non-teachers correcting.

Pretty Polly

Thank you all for your replies. I'm going to apply and see how it goes. I'm a bit concerned that even if I do qualify, I'll be taxed at the higher rate bracket and it won't be worth it.

sKeith

If you already earn over €34k then all extra earnings will be at 40%. If you are earning 25k, then you can earn another 9k before being taxed at higher rate. Also, don't be too concerned about earning extra money. If you were punished for earning extra money, then nobody would seek pay rises, and as far as I know, people are always glad of pay rise.



source: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/income_tax/how_your_tax_is_calculated.html

mirrorwall14

The pay is not great if you are in the top tax bracket but it's decent if you are below it and welcome if you are part time. They are still looking for correctors. Since they slashed the pay for it a lot are no longer doing it

Jamfa

Pretty Polly wrote: »

Thank you all for your replies. I'm going to apply and see how it goes. I'm a bit concerned that even if I do qualify, I'll be taxed at the higher rate bracket and it won't be worth it.

The marking conference for your subject is likely to take place in June so may clash with the primary school calendar.

mirrorwall14

Pretty Polly wrote: »

Thank you all for your replies. I'm going to apply and see how it goes. I'm a bit concerned that even if I do qualify, I'll be taxed at the higher rate bracket and it won't be worth it.

It's hard work for the top tax bracket. A lot of teachers do it for the experience which won't apply to you. Also you know you don't get paid until near October?

doc_17

You can definitely correct FL Maths. I did a few years ago and at the marking conference I was sitting beside a primary school teacher.

It won't just be the 41% tax, you also have to pay 5.5% USC, 4% PRSI and the pension levy. So for every €100 you'll keep about €40.

I'm never doing it again

mtoutlemonde

Pretty Polly wrote: »

I'm a primary school teacher teaching in Dublin. While I'm very lucky and thankful that I'm permanent, between rent and all the other bills, I'm completely broke.

I was thinking of applying to correct one of the Leaving/Junior Cert papers. Are primary teachers allowed to correct papers? I've checked the application form and it's not mentioned. Does anyone here know of any primary teachers that have corrected papers? I don't even know if it would be worth it with tax @42%!!

I would really appreciate any replies.
Thank you

In my ideal world I would not like to see primary teachers correcting papers. Are secondary teachers allowed to work in primary - NO! Primary teachers are not qualified or don't understand the curriculum i.e. they don't use it everyday. I wouldn't dream of working in a primary - I chose my sector and I will stick to it.

Also there would not be a hope in hell of correcting LC papers - you have to do JC first and work your way up.

cruizer101 wrote: »

Yeah pretty sure you don't actually need to be a teacher to correct them.
Years ago you could become a teacher in a school without any official qualifications sure and I'm pretty sure those teachers could have corrected exams no problem.

I have never seen such a ridiculous post on boards. Sure there are x amount of unemployed in the country - maybe we'll get them correcting for a month - are you for real?

Also as much as I dislike the Teaching Council, it has removed the unqualified from our schools.

cruizer101 wrote: »

Can I suggest maybe contacting some of the mocks companies, those papers get sent of to be corrected the same as state exams except it is by private company, probably easier to get and would give experience for applying for state ones.

Edit: forgot mocks are well over at this stage, might be worth considering next year though

Yeah if that's what those companies are doing - no wonder I get my mocks back and are not marked correctly. It would be the reason I corrected my own this year.

blackbird 49

I shocked by some of the comments saying you don't have to be a teacher to correct exams, I'm not saying teachers are perfect but what qualifications do you need to be able to correct exams

cruizer101

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

I have never seen such a ridiculous post on boards. Sure there are x amount of unemployed in the country - maybe we'll get them correcting for a month - are you for real?

Whoa there jumping to assumptions, I don't think any joe soap should be correcting exams but why shouldn't someone who for example has a maths degree and has recieved training from the exams comission be able to correct exams.
I don't make the rules, if the state exams commissions think someone is qualified enough for the job then is that not enough.

And in fact on further looking into it they require correctors to have a degree and teaching experience, though no indication of teaching degree and teaching council registered.

evolving_doors

Yes, it's been mentioned in the forum before that non-teachers have corrected.
Similarly, teachers have been enlisted to correct in subjects they've never taught!

Redser87

I know from friends who have done the corrections that the money is not great. Once you have corrected a batch, the criteria could be changed and you would have to redo all of your work. I have heard that it is non stop for most of July.
If you have experience of ASD, would you do the July provision? Or apply to summer camps for music or art.

JulyProvision

Hi,
Sorry for hi-jacking your post but would just like to let you know that we've ...Mod Snip / Spam

RealJohn

blackbird 49 wrote: »

I shocked by some of the comments saying you don't have to be a teacher to correct exams, I'm not saying teachers are perfect but what qualifications do you need to be able to correct exams

A degree in the subject being marked?
Just because you're a qualified teacher doesn't mean you're necessarily in a better position to mark exams than someone else. Granted, in subjects like english or Gaeilge, a knowledge of course materials would probably be necessary but in most subjects, someone with a good degree ought to be just as competent as someone with the same degree and a teaching qualification.

spurious

I think the main problem a 'non-teacher' would face is the utterly horrendous handwriting that is becoming more and more common, even in scripts from higher ability candidates.