A bid by teachers to win a year of paid sabbatical leave after 10 years of service has been rejected by an independent arbitration board, it has emerged. Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent, reports.
The sabbatical leave would be used by teachers to improve their skills and to help them meet the demands placed on schools, teaching unions told the Teachers Arbitration Board.
"Teaching is increasingly a research-based activity and teachers need to improve their skills and knowledge. Regular access to further training would enable teachers to meet the challenges of curriculum innovation.
"Sabbatical leave would create a better balance between work and family life for the teaching profession," the unions told the Arbitration Board at a hearing on April 9th.
The Department of Education and Science said staff shortages caused by such leave would have "a significant impact" on schools, which could not be made up by using substitute teachers.
The proposal was first put forward by the teaching unions at a meeting of the Teachers Conciliation Council in July 2001, while the Department responded in September 2001.
Following disagreement, the matter was referred to the Arbitration Board, which is chaired by Mr Gerard Durcan. It held a hearing on April 9th last and reported on May 12th.
In its findings, the board said "a balance must be maintained" between the needs of schools and "the benefits which might flow from greater access to sabbatical leave".
An automatic right to a year's leave could not be conceded because of the severe effect it might have on the availability of teachers and the likely cost. The board said there may be some advantage from schools offering sabbatical leave at their discretion, especially if the sabbatical research was of special benefit.
Meanwhile, it rejected a claim by teachers that they should be guaranteed some form of promotion within five years of service, and a rise to assistant principal rank within 10.
"The lack of promotional opportunities in schools is a disincentive to ambitious young people entering the profession or in the alternative staying in the profession," the teachers claimed.
Saying the claim "disregards present arrangements", the Department of Education and Science said 55 per cent of all teachers already have some form of rank.
"A promotional system based on service rather than on operational and managerial requirements is not in keeping with modern human resource practice now employed in the public service," it said.