It says up to 90 primary schools in the wider Dublin commuter area, as well as in Cork and Galway will benefit from the scheme, which will see up to 18 additional teachers given contracts to cover vacancies as they arise across these areas.An additional teacher will be based at one of the schools but available for substitute cover wherever the need arises across the cluster.
Two to three teachers will be assigned to each panel, to serve an estimated ten to 15 schools in the area.It says the scheme will initially operate on a pilot basis for one year, after which it will be reviewed. They say that many schools would not be able to survive were it not for the availability of retired teachers. Earlier this year, Minister Joe McHugh said he believed technological advances now made the concept of supply panels more cost efficient.
Announcing plans for the supply panel, Mr McHugh said it was a direct response to staffing difficulties he had heard about from teachers, principals and management bodies.
Can they not just pay people better?
up the wages