M40/02

To:The authorities of Post-Primary Schools

New arrangements for necessary substitution for teachers attending National In-Career Development Programmes organised by Support Services.

Heretofore schools were required to apply to the In-Career Development Unit (ICDU) in advance for approval for necessary substitution for teachers planning to attend courses and meetings organised by Support Services as part of National In-Career Development Programmes defined as such. This requirement will no longer be necessary and revised arrangements, as set out below, are bing introduced which will reduce administration demands on schools and help to streamline procedures.

Support Services / Education Centres have been requested to include the revised arrangements listed below with the literature notifying schools of National In-Service Courses.

Notification to Schools of National In-Service courses from Support Service / Education Centre.

In future the letter/literature notifying schools concerning courses/meetings for teachers will indicate that:

  • The in-service course/school is being organised as part of a National Programme of In-Service and consequently necessary substitution is available for participants at the course/meeting.
  • It is no longer required that Principal seeks prior approval from the In-Career Development Unit of the Department of Education and Science for this substitution.
  • The Support Service / Education Centre will provide each teacher, in respect of each in-service, with a Certificate of Attendance Form, on the Support Service’s headed paper, for completion at the relevant sections on the completion of the course (sample certificate provided).
  • The course trainer / Support Service will explain to the teachers that the form is to be used by the school to claim the cost of substitute cover.
  • Each teacher, on completion of a National In-Service course, will provide to his / her Principal a Certificate of Attendance, signed by the Course Presenter.

Principals may then claim the cost of necessary substitution by appending the completed Certificate of Attendance to the relevant documents for submission in the normal way when claiming payment for substitution costs from the relevant substitute / pay section in the Department of Education and Science or Vocational Education Committee.

Course trainers will also inform teachers that failure to return the form to the Principal will result in the school being unable to claim for substitution costs.

Teachers participating in in-service courses are required to be in full attendance. In this regard, course trainers / support services have discretion over the issuing of certificates of attendance to teachers who leave early.

To avoid unnecessary confusion as to what absences are covered for substitution, the ICDU requests the Support Service / Education Centre to indicate to school authorities that substitution is allowed only in the case of national programmes as follows:

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONJunior Certificate maths

physicssocial, personal, health education

home economicsLeaving Certificate applied

chemistryLeaving Certificate Vocational Programme

biologyenglish

school development planning initiativecivic, social and political education

Junior Certificate school programme

This list will alter as the Department sanctions further National Programmes of in-service and existing Programmes are completed.

Vincent Wrynn

Principal Officer