Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all, we have some important news to share. Please follow the link here to find out more!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058419143/important-news/p1?new=1

Hiring of unqualified teachers still continuing

  • 14-03-2012 08:12PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭


    I would have thought with the massive supply of teachers this practice would have ended. However I have seen this happen lately where a person has been hired because they had a connection and now have about 15 hours including exam classes for quite common subjects. Person is only finished their BA and has no experience whatsoever.

    In my opinion this is something the Teaching Council should be proactively getting involved in and if needs be forcing a schools hand in this matter.


«1

Comments

  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,551 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    INTO have told members not to work with any unqualified teachers.What about secondary?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,810 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    INTO have told members not to work with any unqualified teachers.What about secondary?

    Maybe it's just me but anyone ever notice that when there are debates about education in the media the INTO always step up to the plate,

    but ASTI.........

    ...tumbleweed.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    Hymph ! Will you report the school DeltaBravo? Or get someone else to ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33 Laura.Lee


    I would have thought with the massive supply of teachers this practice would have ended. However I have seen this happen lately where a person has been hired because they had a connection and now have about 15 hours including exam classes for quite common subjects. Person is only finished their BA and has no experience whatsoever.

    In my opinion this is something the Teaching Council should be proactively getting involved in and if needs be forcing a schools hand in this matter.

    There is an unqualified teacher teaching in my school. Covering an extended sick leave. No PGDE!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 959 ✭✭✭highly1111


    Laura.Lee wrote: »
    I would have thought with the massive supply of teachers this practice would have ended. However I have seen this happen lately where a person has been hired because they had a connection and now have about 15 hours including exam classes for quite common subjects. Person is only finished their BA and has no experience whatsoever.

    In my opinion this is something the Teaching Council should be proactively getting involved in and if needs be forcing a schools hand in this matter.

    There is an unqualified teacher teaching in my school. Covering an extended sick leave. No PGDE!

    It's a shocking disgraceful practise and shame shame shame on those who employ staff (not teachers!) in this manner. It makes a mockery of our profession. The problem is what to do next? Letter of complaint on behalf of the union staff to the BOM? There should be some way an anon tip off can be given to the TC who then contact the school.

    Sorry for rant - but this is really a pet hate of mine - I went through absolute hoops to get my registration sorted.


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,551 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    TC won't do anything about it, I'd imagine.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    Well make it public some way . Local radio / letter to a newspaper . Anything but don't be passive !


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    Postgrad10 wrote: »
    Well make it public some way . Local radio / letter to a newspaper . Anything but don't be passive !

    Its quite difficult when you're only a sub so I don't want to step on senior toes. I'll send an email to the ASTI and see what the story is.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    I understand its difficult for you too.
    I'm a sub who can not get subbing. Plenty more like me who don't know anybody who would do anything for that job . Please do what you can to report it .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,428 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Happening in my school too. Principal's son is in doing subbing the last four months. No specific teacher, just whatever needs to be covered on any given day. :mad:

    He's doing the dip at the moment, but as it stands is not qualified.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    And I thought people could only be paid if they were registered with the teaching council ? Why did I bother paying their fee then ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 798 ✭✭✭niallers1


    Maybe if we stopped hiring so many qualified Teachers as TD's we would not need to hire unqualified teachers for the class room..:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,937 ✭✭✭implausible


    niallers1 wrote: »
    Maybe if we stopped hiring so many qualified Teachers as TD's we would not need to hire unqualified teachers for the class room..:rolleyes:

    What a ridiculous post!

    TDs are not 'hired', they are elected.

    There is a huge shortage of teaching jobs and oversupply of teachers at the moment, so your point makes no sense.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 798 ✭✭✭niallers1


    What a ridiculous post!

    TDs are not 'hired', they are elected.

    There is a huge shortage of teaching jobs and oversupply of teachers at the moment, so your point makes no sense.


    They interviewed for the Job and were hired by the voting public/Taxpayer.

    Elected/Hired... Meh..same thing, just a bigger pool of people involved in the interview and selection process.

    Anyway, That's off topic .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    It is true that we are not supposed to be hiring unqualified or retired teachers. VECs won't pay these unless we have fulfilled criteria i.e. advertised and failed to get any.
    However I can tell you its bloody hard to find a sub at the moment in certain subjects e..g irish, maths, home ec, french etc.
    Also subs love sending in CVs but lots don't answer calls, don't want 1 day here or there etc. So sometimes it is necessary to hire unqualified people.
    Its all well and good saying there are loads of teachers out of work but I find it hard to see too many queuing up at my office looking for work to be honest.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,404 ✭✭✭doc_17


    This proves that the TC is a total waste of money. We pay subs to them each year and the main reason we do this is the threat held over us that only teachers registered will be paid from oireachtas funds. This is the fault of the teaching council - noone else.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    when the act will be enacted last this year, you will see the non payment taking place.
    Unless there is no alternative, always remember that. Try finding a sub irish teacher for the week of the orals.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    I've three friends who are NQT Irish teachers , they didn't get any calls during the orals despite having innondated schools in many counties . Perhaps you didn't look hard enough.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 76 ✭✭caroline72


    Postgrad10 wrote: »
    I've three friends who are NQT Irish teachers , they didn't get any calls during the mocks despite having innondated schools in many counties . Perhaps you didn't look hard enough.

    It is for the Orals they would be looking for Irish teachers, not the mocks. Orals are held first/second week back after Easter, depending on location of school.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    I made a mistake . Thank you for correcting me .


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 525 ✭✭✭anndub


    Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons, one of the best teachers I had in secondary school was unqualified. She just had a passion for and brilliant knowledge of the subject matter. I'd attribute the A I got in my leaving cert to her and not the holder of the PGDE whose maternity leave she was covering.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    That's another topic regarding the suitability of people as teachers which unfortunately can't be tested until they actually teach in the school. I too had an unqualified teacher for my leaving cert and she/ he was an amazing teacher . The problem is that unqualified and unvetted people are getting in instead of the qualified and vetted . It's so wrong .


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    and I agree with you, qualified should get the job first but there are situations where we cannot find anyone else.
    Nothing worse than ringing a pile of CVs that people sent the week before and have a litany of excuses such as its not worth coming to you for 1 day etc. Don't people have any idea of the whole "foot in the door" lark


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    Well I hope you make a point of never calling them again Thedriver. My friends and I jump at the chance of a day no matter what. I've even known to teach anything including maths and Irish if I have to :D Which are not my degree subjects :) Anything to be flexible so I might get a call back!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,416 ✭✭✭Jimmy Iovine


    I know a guy who has a pass degree in Irish and he has managed to get into a secondary school from the start of March till the summer holidays.

    He has absolutely no teaching qualifications. All he has is connections and a few days here and there doing a spot of subbing.

    I'm sure there are plenty of teachers out there that would jump at the chance to get a 3 month stint in a school. Is secondary the same as primary with regard to unqualified subbing? I had assumed it was.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 128 ✭✭therunaround


    Iv heard of a number of schools lately in the midlands area who can't get subs. Time to start cold calling schools is now. Ye won't get work on boards. And if people get a day they should take it, might only have 50 quid profit but it's better than sitting on ur arse at home.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    I know a guy who has a pass degree in Irish and he has managed to get into a secondary school from the start of March till the summer holidays.

    He has absolutely no teaching qualifications. All he has is connections and a few days here and there doing a spot of subbing.

    I'm sure there are plenty of teachers out there that would jump at the chance to get a 3 month stint in a school. Is secondary the same as primary with regard to unqualified subbing? I had assumed it was.

    Like I said, I would take on someone with any bit of Irish in their degree as thats the best we can get at the moment.

    Crappy Irish > No Irish

    P.S. Don't cold call schools, send email or something, particularly if you have rare subjects.
    And check educationposts.ie


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,438 ✭✭✭solerina


    I have to agree with the Driver. My school advertised for 3 weeks looking for teachers for 3 different people going on maternity leave. Eventually we got people but it took ages leveing classes with no teacher. One of those people is unqualified but in fairness she was the only one available (german national for a german teaching job). The jobs were from Jan onwards so it would have been worth the time to relocate, but not many applied at all !!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,815 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    and I would say the teaching council is very handy because people have all different types of educaton qualifications including british and further afield and people are very cute at persuading you they are "qualified" however are you teaching council registered draws a line under it and asking them for their TC number really shuts them up, its a case of either put up or shut up.
    So they have 1 use


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,285 ✭✭✭kirving


    In college at the moment, not doing teaching, but Engineering.

    Most PhD students we have had lecturing/giving tutorials over the last few years have been excellent, and they were all decent.

    As far as I know they didn't also have a teaching degree. As such, I believe that a copped on person, with a degree related to the subject area should be well capable of teaching it at leaving cert level. Speaking of technical subjects really, not sure about languages.


Advertisement