Recognising time spent by Irish teachers working in non-EU countries could make it 'too attractive'
Education Minister Norma Foley said she is 'hesitant' to recognise time spent teaching in non-EU countries by Irish teachers
The Minister for Education has said she is "hesitant to make it too attractive" for newly qualified teachers to work abroad by recognising time spent teaching in non-EU countries.
Minister Norma Foley was responding to a proposed measure from teachers unions, one of many suggested by both the ASTI and Teachers Union of Ireland to entice teachers who have left Ireland to work abroad to come back.
Both the ASTI and TUI began their annual conferences in Wexford and Killarney respectively, this Tuesday morning, April 2.
The proposed measure calls for full recognition for experience gained overseas by teachers, particularly those who have worked in the Middle East and other non-Eu countries.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Foley said she was "cognizant of making it overly attractive for those going abroad and ensuring that there is a fairness to the 75,000 who are actually currently working here at home".
"I think we need to find a balanced mechanism here as to how its is fair to all concerned."
Ms Foley also addressed another proposed motion from teachers unions that called for an allowance for teachers in urban areas to offset the cost-of-living crisis, similar to the London weighting allowance for teachers in the UK capital.
Pointing out that there was no "uniformity" among teachers unions on the matter, she said that "in the interest of fairness", any allowance to offset cost-of-living pressures on teachers "would have to be looked at right across the public sector".
Also among proposals from teachers unions is a reduction in the length of postgraduate teaching qualifications.
However, Ms Foley highlighted the "need to ensure that teachers are suitably qualified, appropriately qualified for the newer challenges of today."
She will address both conferences this week.