INVESTING IN THE TEACHING WORKFORCE

Commenting on reports that a legal challenge to the Investing in the Workforce Scheme has forced the Department of Education to withdraw the scheme for recently qualified teachers for 2016/17, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in Northern Ireland, said:

“The onus is on the Department of Education to demonstrate that its proposals were appropriate and fair in the circumstances.

“Teachers will be anxious to know how this legal challenge will affect plans they have already put in place and schools will also want to know that this will not have a detrimental impact on their budgets.

“Schools and teachers who have acted in good faith should not be penalised and it is now incumbent on the Department of Education to identify alternative options.”

Justin McCamphill, NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland, said:

“The NASUWT expects employers and schools not to react to this development by imposing any detrimental changes, including redundancies, on the workforce or changes which would affect the provision of education.

“The NASUWT will be working to support all teachers affected as a consequence of today’s announcement.”