This is an issue I have been following up re primary schools.
There is a situation where schools will lose a teacher before June; then in June can appeal the decision. They may get a teacher back but will have to go through process of advertising the position, going through many many c.v’s and then interviewing. If the Appeals process could be sooner than June that process could be avoided and the school could keep the teacher who had been there.
Maureen O’Sullivan To the Minister for Education and Science
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether June is too
late for the Appeals Board to sit in relation to teachers from primary schools;
if he will consider bringing it forward; and if he will make a statement on the
matter.
Minister of State, Ciarán Cannon
The Primary Staffing Appeals Board meets three times per year – February, June
and October.
The first meeting was held in February, 2014. Most schools that intend to
submit appeals generally do so for the February meeting of the Appeals Board.
This gives schools an early opportunity to have their appeals heard.
The second meeting of the Appeals Board is normally held in June. This year it
will be held on 10 June 2014. The issue of an earlier timeframe for this
meeting has not been raised by education partners in their regular discussions
with my Department. My Department is open to facilitating the appeals meeting
being brought forward into May. My Department will discuss this further with
education partners as part of its normal engagement with them in the Autumn on
the teacher allocation and redeployment process for the 2015/16 school year.
