A number of teachers have been made redundant from schools where principals had been given excessive pay rises, according to a report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. The report called for greater control of school governors by the Department of Education and local education boards, to ensure there was "consistency and reasonableness" in salary increases. Since reforms in 1993, school governors have had responsibility for "pay flexibility" for principals and vice-principals. In his report to the Assembly, the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Dowdall, highlighted a number of unnamed cases in which he questioned the pay awards made.
The principal of one secondary school was nine points higher on the salary scale than was recommended for the school. "In the same year the school had experienced two teacher redundancies and a budget deficit.
"In the subsequent year, three further redundancies were required because of an increased deficit," Mr Dowdall said. In a primary school, the principal had been given a rise of six points up the pay scale - taking him above the maximum relevant pay band.
In the same year, the school required a budget supplement and made two teachers redundant. The chief executive of the North Eastern Education and Library Board, Mr Gordon Topping, said the Assembly needed to ensure that there was clear accountability in head teachers' salaries. "We would like to be able to have an approving role," he said. Mr Tom McKee, of the teachers' union, NASUWT, branded the development a scandal. "The one redeeming factor in all this is that those people indulging themselves are in the minority, but they are bringing shame on the whole teaching profession," he said.
Ms Fern Turner of the Head Teachers' Association said the report was unfair as it had only examined a small number of schools.
The Education Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness, was unavailable for comment but a spokesman for his Department said it was considering the report.