Committee Remains Troubled by Teacher Redundancy Delays

The Northern Ireland Assembly’s Education Committee has today further considered the ongoing issues affecting the teacher redundancy process.

Following today’s meeting, the Committee Chairperson, Mervyn Storey MLA said: “The Committee is deeply troubled by the continuing delays in respect of voluntary severance arrangements for teachers.  Members are calling on the Department to urgently provide clarity for those teachers who have yet to receive confirmation of their redundancy arrangements.  These delays and the poor level of communication between the Department and the Managing Authorities on the one hand and the schools and teachers on the other, is entirely unacceptable.”

As well as asking for clarity for teachers and sight of the relevant communications, the Committee is also calling on the Department to look sensibly at the likely future financial position for schools in the medium term when applying its redundancy criteria.”

Mr Storey continued: “A proper consideration of schools’ financial position is the only logical approach to applying redundancy eligibility rules.

“The Committee views teacher severance as a high priority issue and in the event of the Department failing to satisfactorily resolve the outstanding issues, we have resolved to meet again – as often as necessary – this summer in order to monitor and scrutinise the Department’s progress.”

ENDS