Pay Cuts mount for New Graduates and NQTs

Is there a call for a serious reaction in the face of serious circumstances?

For new entrants to the public service a 10% pay cut, beginning on a lower point of the scale and a 7.5% pension levy are already slicing the bottom line of new teachers' payslips, a cut of 25%. By the end of  February allowances may also be added to that long list.

To suggest 3 years ago that a teacher would have to live on 3/4 of  pay would more than likely have been laughed at as blind speculation and hyperbole. But that is what we face now.

Allowances have been frozen pending a review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, into premium allowances, due for release by the end of this month. Allowances are not additional or extra pay for the same amount of work. They are pay for extra and addtional work completed, like yard duty, or the furthering of professional qualifications, which contribute to your expertise as a teacher. Others include Gaelscoil teaching and teaching on an Island. You can only benefit from one allowance at a time.

For student teachers, the incentive for acheiving an Honours Degree will be demolished if that allowance is sliced or destroyed. For new teachers, an incentive to acheive a Masters Degree, after investing finance into its completion, will be erased with the vanishing or cutting of that allowance.

All teachers' unions, including the INTO, are currently persuing the issue of allowances. Also the INTO has taken a legal case to the Equality Tribunal on the 10% pay cut to new entrants. These are clearly steps in the right direction, but NQTs and New Graduates will have to make their own voices heard where they are directly concerned, combined with and strengthing the above mentioned offical persuits.

There is no clear indication as to where the axe will fall, but there is no doubt that it will fall regarding allowances. We are faced with the unlikely situation where allowances for new beneficiaries would be paused or frozen, and returned untouched. The presumption is that something is going to happen, the axe is going to fall, and it is going to fall on NQTs and New Graduates. Due to the lack of clarity the suggestion that all teachers, new or experienced, will be hit is valid.

Clarity will come as mentioned at the end of February, but the main emphasis is what would be acceptable? Would a cut to all allowances be ok? Would a cut to new beneficiaries be ok? Is a cut at all ok? These are some questions that only each individual can form an opinion or answer on. Nonetheless, NQTs do need to be prepared to take action, and meaningful steps to protect pay and conditions.

Finally, to suggest that teachers have not taken cuts is disingenuous. Not to mention pension charges, the Universal Social Charge for example, and the non-fall of the cost of living, all teachers have seen fortnightly bottom line figures fall. NQTs and New graduates have already taken a pay cut of 10%. How much is enough? Is this not complying with any pay agreement of reform arrangement, and if not, what will the total cost of 'complying' be?

CEPP Consultation: Probation and Increased School Involvement

CEPP (Career Entry Professional Programme) is a consulation document and proposal for probation out at the moment. The closing date for submissions is 30th March 2012.

Click here to read the document, and visit the Teaching Council Website to make a submission. The  new proposed arrangements for probation see the Inspectorate's role minimized, with increased school involvement.

Principals and a nominated staff member mentor would conduct 8 observations in total, culminating in a decision being made on the probationary teacher's suitability for full registration with the Council (which is compulsory). The Inspectorate would only be involved on an occasion where a disagreement of the judgement occurs between teacher,mentor and principal, as all three stake holders contribute to the final and interim reports.

Is there an inherint clash of roles for teacher,principal and mentor? While school based support is certainly a welcome a positive, should evaluation and assessment not be carried out by an objective individual (inspector)? These are some of the questions and issues that each individual can come to a conclusion on.

The INTO are holding Consultative Meetings regarding the proposed arrangments. Click here to view dates that may suit you with venues and times.
It is vitally important that an NQT voice is heard, as we will be,currently are, or recently have been through probation.