Co Kildare primary school teachers highlighting pay inequalities

Primary school teachers in a Co Kildare school participated in an event highlighting pay inequality, last Friday.

On  October 5, teachers from St. Brigid’s Primary School in Kildare Town took part in a national initiative to highlight pay inequality in the teaching profession.

Post 2010 teaching graduates are set to lose up to €50,000 throughout their careers compared to their colleagues.

One third of the teaching staff of St. Brigid’s Primary School are lower paid teachers. Last year these lower paid staff members had amassed combined personal loses of over €150,000 so far, with some individual teacher’s loses amounting to over €30,000 over their careers so far. When these losses were calculated in terms of unpaid teaching days, this group had amassed over five academic years unpaid.

Pay inequality is affecting schools nationwide as it is forcing many young teachers to immigrate to areas, such as the Middle East, where teacher wages are comparatively higher. This is severely affecting the substitute teacher supply with many schools struggling to provide sufficient cover for both short term and long-term substitute positions. The Public Service Stability Agreement recently proposed by the government in order to tackle this issue does not provide full pay equality.

Graduates from 2011 to 2014 will continue to lose money, up to €20,000 in some cases, and newer graduates will not see the benefits of this deal until 2026. The INTO (Irish National Teachers’ Organisations) is now balloting its members on whether or not it should accept this deal. Balloting ends on  October  24,  and should a majority of two thirds reject this pay agreement, then primary school teachers will be balloted for industrial action.