Sir, – In light of the ongoing public sector pay talks and the recent announcement by Minister Simon Harris of recruitment of literacy “tutors” for every part of Ireland so that “no one gets left behind”, we wish to draw attention to the stark reality of conditions for existing literacy teachers in our sector.
We teach in the Adult Basic Education department of Kerry ETB’S further education section. We teach vulnerable adults in mixed groups. Some have literacy and language needs. Some have intellectual special needs. Others have been left behind by the Irish education system and have taken the courageous and daunting step to return to education for a second chance at a better life. All need, deserve and are entitled to a best quality service.
We provide that service.
We devise and deliver learner-centred courses to Quality and Qualifications Ireland standards in line with the National Framework of Qualifications. We produce detailed assessment plans at the beginning of each course. we design assignment briefs and assess students for their awards.
We monitor students on an ongoing basis and advise on progression pathways.
In common with all teachers, we take work home. We maintain attendance registers manually and online. We submit detailed reports at the end of each term. We attend meetings as scheduled. We send and answer emails liaising with administration and management staff. We undertake continuing professional development training courses which we must work around our scheduled teaching hours, otherwise we lose class time and pay.
We pay Teaching Council fees. We invariably work beyond the hours for which we are paid, even taking into account preparation time our employer would say is factored into our pay rate. That is the nature of our job. That is the nature of teaching.
Our job is teaching. Yet our employer insists on terming us “non-teaching staff” for the purposes of affording us lesser terms and conditions than our teaching colleagues in other sections also employed by the Department of Education.
The pay and conditions of our teaching colleagues in other sectors reflect their job specifications. Ours do not.
These jobs are our livelihoods. We treat them as such.
Yet we are treated comparably to teenagers working in part-time jobs for pocket money.
Our hours are precarious and are routinely chopped and changed with little regard to the devastating financial repercussions for us. Our rate of pay does not reflect our qualifications and experience. We do not have an incremental pay scale. In fact we have never had a pay increase.
We must sign on at the Social Welfare Office for 14 weeks of the year.
We teach some of the most marginalised groups in our society. Teaching them is not just about imparting facts and figures. It is about empowerment. We strive to empower our students to stand up for their entitlements, effect positive change and rise above marginalisation.
We are marginalised among our teaching colleagues as we are the only teaching staff in further education who do not have a proper contract with equitable terms and conditions.
We ask only for a fair contract in line with all other teaching staff. – Yours, etc,
ITA LEAHY,
EILEEN O’ FLAHERTY,
JOHN LEAHY,
PETER KEANE,
Tralee Adult Basic
Education section,
Kerry ETB,
Tralee, Co Kerry.