Written answer
Teaching Qualifications
Overseas teaching service may qualify for incremental credit under departmental criteria and application, which are reviewed through the Teachers Conciliation Council, not the Teaching Council.
341. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will engage with an organisation (details supplied) regarding the policy on incremental credits; and whether it adequately assesses past experience of teaching abroad. [67983/26]
Comment on this
The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circular 10/2001 for Primary teachers, and Circulars 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. These circulars provide for the award of incremental credit in respect of prior teaching service, including overseas teaching service, both within and outside the EU and/or relevant non-teaching service.
There is no contractual entitlement to incremental credit; applicants must submit a fully completed incremental credit application to have prior service assessed. An award of incremental credit is based on the incremental credit application submitted to either the Department or to an ETB.
Teaching service given outside the Republic of Ireland by a qualified teacher in a school or college must be deemed to be equivalent to teaching service given in a primary or post primary school in the Republic of Ireland. This includes teaching service given in a public or private secondary school abroad.
Where the service/school satisfies the criteria set out in the circulars to have service at that school recognised for incremental credit, an award of incremental credit can be made, and the applicant will progress on the incremental pay scale in line with the incremental credit awarded. Whereas a teacher whose service is deemed not to satisfy the eligibility criteria for an award of incremental credit will remain at the relevant point on the incremental salary scale.
The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC) and are subject to review by way of an incremental credit committee, which is a sub-committee of the TCC and which meets on an ongoing basis. Any changes to the criteria must be agreed through the established mechanism in place.
The Teaching Council is not a party to the TCC and does not have any role in the administration of the policy or criteria relating to the award of incremental credit to teachers under the relevant Department circulars.