The Department of Education and Skills has today issued an information note in the payslips of post primary teachers informing them of the requirement to be registered with the Teaching Council.
Primary teachers will receive the note with their payslips next Thursday, 26th April 2012.
The Education (Amendment) Bill 2012 is currently being considered by the Oireachtas. When it is enacted it will allow the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., to commence Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001.
This will require everyone in publicly funded teaching posts to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from the Exchequer.
Once commenced, Section 30 will pave the way for the commencement of the remaining sections of the Teaching Council Act, including those relating to teachers' continuing professional development and the Council's investigative and disciplinary functions.
The latter will empower the Council to conduct inquiries into the professional conduct of teachers and, impose sanctions, as appropriate, up to and including removal from the Register.
As the regulatory body for teaching, the Teaching Council seeks to ensure high professional standards for teaching.
It does this in the interests of students and the public good, but it is equally important for the reputation and status of the profession that high standards of teaching are upheld.
Speaking at the INTO Congress in Killarney last week, Minister Quinn indicated his support for a proposal by the Teaching Council to reduce the annual registration renewal fee from €90 to €65. It is intended that the reduced renewal fee will come into effect on 1st January 2013.
The fee qualifies for tax relief, meaning that the real cost of the current €90 fee is €54 or just over one euro a week and the reduced fee from next year of €65 will be €39.
In order to ensure all applications are processed before the 2012/2013 school year, any practising teachers that are not currently registered with the Teaching Council should apply to the Council before 31st May 2012.
An information note on the requirement to be registered with the Teaching Council under Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act, 2001, will be available on the Department’s website.