The ASTI is receiving calls from members regarding COVID-19. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers to them. This page is being updated regularly.
For FAQs on State Exams click here.
What pay is a substitute teacher entitled to?
Where a substitute was scheduled to work in the period of the school closure, the substitute will be paid for that scheduled absence.
The school should continue to record that claim. Substitute claims cannot be claimed in advance on the OLCS, therefore, it is important that schools key all absences and input claims for substitutes on the On-Line Claims System (OLCS) as normal.
Where a teacher was working casually in a school but had no expectation of what work would be available to them and of how many hours (if any) there might be, they will not be paid by the Department of Education and Skills. However, they may be entitled to receive the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment – see answer below.
I am a teacher and have been doing some paid substitution. Am I entitled to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment?
In relation to teachers who were not contracted to work with a specific employer but who, in the normal course of events, would have carried out substitution work on a casual basis during the closure period, the Department of Education and Skills has reached agreement with the Department of Social Protection to extend the entitlements to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment to such individuals on the following basis:
A substitute teacher will be entitled to the payment if they were in employment immediately before the pandemic. If the teacher has evidence that they worked in March (eg payslip) then they are entitled to apply provide they are aged 65 or under and live in the Republic of Ireland.
When an individual fulfils these criteria, they should apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment through mywelfare.ie.
I am a student teacher and have been doing some paid substitution. Am I entitled to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment?
The answer above applies to student teachers also.
I was on sick leave when schools closed – what do I have to do?
If you are still unfit for work, you should continue to provide certification to your school and to apply for illness benefit (if you pay Class A PRSI). Paid sick leave will continue in line with the provisions set out in Chapter 1 of Circular 54/19.
If you recover, you should indicate to your school/ principal that you are now fit for work, and they should update the OLCS accordingly. If you have been absent for a short-term illness, on a medical certificate ending during the current closure, the school/ principal will follow the dates of the certificate and can end the sick leave during the closure. The principal can accept the teacher’s own doctor’s confirmation of their fitness.
If a teacher has been absent for a longer period – more than twenty-eight days consecutively or cumulatively in the past twelve months – they must be referred to the OHS, Medmark, and be certified as fit to work in order for the school/ principal to end the period of sick leave on the OLCS.
Medmark is continuing to operate and will provide telephone consultations during this time, and will be in contact with affected members.
If you need to apply for Critical Illness Protocol, you should do so in the normal manner.
In summary, sick leave should be treated as if the school was in operation.
What happens to the leave I had applied for?
There are various categories of unpaid leave, with various conditions attaching to the schemes.
Any changes to unpaid leave will be at the discretion of the Board of Management/ ETB. This is not applicable to leave which has already been inputted and processed on the OLCS and therefore, cannot be changed (see above). Boards/ETBs should take into account whether or not they have engaged a substitute teacher to cover a leave absence, in considering such requests.
The DES has made it clear (see below) that recorded leaves of absence shouldn’t be amended solely on the basis of the current closure. However, Boards / ETBs may take into account that teacher’s personal circumstances may have changed since the application for leave was made and may wish to accommodate requests on that basis.
The DES information note reads:
Pre-arranged or pre-existing leave will not be affected by an exceptional school closure. For instance, if a teacher has been approved for a period of parental leave, and their school must close due to Covid-19, the teacher will remain on parental leave for the agreed duration. Scheduled leave absences which have not yet been recorded on the OLCS and which have been sanctioned by the Board of Management should continue to be recorded on the OLCS for e.g. a staff member due to go on maternity leave.
What is the position regarding remote teaching and learning between Easter 2020 and the end of May 2020?
It is expected that schools will not reopen before the end of this year’s normal school tuition calendar. Remote teaching and learning will continue. Prior to the Easter break, the ASTI wrote to the Department of Education and Skills and sought to achieve agreed operational guidelines to assist in this whole new way of delivering second-level education. Unfortunately, the Department of Education and Skills did not respond to that request and proceeded to issue a document entitled ‘Guidelines on Continuity of Schooling - For Primary and Post- Primary Schools’ dated 2nd April 2020.
This document was issued without any consultation with teacher unions despite the ASTI’s request and a number of representations having also been made to the Department by others. The ASTI protested this approach and an apology was issued.
What has been presented by the Department of Education and Skills is a poorly crafted document which is inconsistent and in a number of instances advocates unrealistic approaches and unwarranted outcomes, which will add greatly to the stress experienced by all concerned at this time.
ASTI believes that an important opportunity has been missed to provide agreed guidance that would be truly beneficial to all interested parties at this time. The published document enjoys no standing from an ASTI point of view and must be rejected as a purportedly useful intervention to support the continuity of teaching and learning during this Public Health Emergency.
Since the issuance of this document, the Department of Education and Skills have relented and have agreed to try to achieve an agreed document that serves the needs of second-level teachers. If such document cannot be agreed in a short time-frame ASTI will issue its own guidance document.
What is the ASTI’s general advice on remote teaching and learning?
Ensuring a work-life balance:
Remote working or working from home is challenging – especially for teachers whose daily work is face-to-face engagement with young people, defined timetables and established school routines. It is easy to underestimate how important such routines are and to feel isolated in the current situation. The best advice is to maintain a specific time-bound work routine. Have a dedicated work space and allocate time each day to your teaching, including marking and responding to students online. Time boundaries are critical for work-life balance, especially when working from home. Use the technology you are most comfortable and competent with, follow the broad objectives of your termly subject plans and collaborate, get advice and encouragement from your colleagues. This is an unprecedented situation for every teacher, including those who are very skilled in ICT usage. Teachers working from home can only carry out a reasonable workload.
Remote teaching and learning:
The best advice is to maintain a specific time-bound work routine:
- allocate a certain number of hours to work each day;
- take into account circumstantial limitations (such as availability of broadband in your home); utilise where possible the technology you are most comfortable and competent with – this can be as simple and as effective as email or other tools that you find useful;
- follow the broad objectives of your subject plans for the term; and
- get advice or encouragement from your colleagues.
It is also useful to keep up to date with the emerging supports provided by PDST, NCSE, Scoilnet, Webwise, etc.
Adapting to the idea of learning and teaching online is challenging: teaching is above all a relational rather than a transactional process. Face-to-face interaction with young people in a structured timetable is the norm. Teachers also have varying degrees of confidence, competence and knowledge of ICT. In these circumstances, teachers can feel under pressure, stressed and cut adrift, given the rapidity of school closure and the resultant limited capacity of schools to prepare a co-ordinated response.
Teachers have been thrust into a situation for which they have been ill prepared while continuing to provide an essential service. The ASTI’s position, communicated to management and teachers alike, is that work should proceed in a context that encompasses reasonable expectations of all concerned, to the best of teachers’ ability under the most challenging of circumstances.
Stay protected together online:
It needs to be stated that online learning is not without its risks. Many home computers, including those of teachers, may not have adequate levels of protection. Teachers should be confident that their computers are adequately protected by appropriate anti-virus software before using them for teaching. Insofar as is possible, use ICT resources and platforms which are already in use in your school.
All schools are required to have an Acceptable Use Policy for students use of the internet at school that specifies the rights, responsibilities and privileges and sanctions connected with computer use. This policy complements the school’s’ Digital Learning Plan.
The national internet safety site, BeSafeOnline has practical advice for all levels of usage of ICT devices.
Additional information, advice and education resources are also available from Webwise addressing a range of internet safety issues and concerns.
Teachers are in communication with their students using a wide variety of platforms.
Any contact between pupils and teachers should only be through a platform endorsed by the school and not through personalised accounts open to public viewing, comments or sharing.
ASTI advises members not to use or exchange personal email addresses or phone numbers with pupils.
Teachers should not be expected to carry out any online teaching with which they feel uncomfortable or in the absence of agreed protocols.
Real-time teaching or live communication:
It must be borne in mind that real-time teaching or live communication can potentially give rise to concerns pertaining to privacy and child protection. There are no current agreed guidelines in operation regarding such engagement with students. There have been few or no risk assessments undertaken in the vast majority of schools with regard to these activities and whole school policies have not been developed. It is in that context that teachers should consider the usage of such facilities. Many schools are uploading material for students rather than engaging in real-time teaching or live communication.
Supporting Students:
Teachers are regularly in contact with their students seeking to provide appropriate learning experiences in the extraordinary circumstances of this time. To the best extent possible, supports are being provided for students with special educational needs and those suffering educational disadvantage. Teachers should assign work that is relevant and manageable, mindful that such work will be carried out independently. The key objective is to ensure continuity of learning. Teachers should use their professional judgement in the assignment of independent work, whether written or practical, in line with the learning needs of students and available resources. Similar judgement should be exercised regarding feedback to students. While the ASTI is aware of the support that parents are providing, they cannot be expected to replicate the professional service that teachers provide.
Teachers are providing huge social support to their students by providing consistent online teaching and communication. Some students are experiencing multiple stressors. The most appropriate response to students communicating distress is to refer students to the established school structures for pastoral care and guidance counselling and where necessary to follow the Child Protection Procedures for Post-Primary Schools. Teachers should contact their schools Designated Liaison Person (DLP), and report their concerns in the normal way. Further information is available on the Tusla website. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed guidance and advice for teachers, students and parents.
Inequality of provision:
It should also be remembered that there are also issues with access that arise for students. Some students do not have a quiet place to work or may have to take care of younger siblings or perform household chores. The ASTI is aware of difficulties for many families where siblings and parents working from home are experiencing difficulties with internet access and availability of equipment – hardware and software. Broadband provision may be inadequate, in rural areas in particular. The ASTI has demanded that measures are put in place to ensure that the digital divide across the country is addressed to enable all teachers and students to engage appropriately.
The ASTI has urged the Department of Education and Skills to provide resources and to ensure that every reasonable accommodation is made to prevent wider educational disadvantage occurring.
What support is there for teachers to engage in online teaching?
The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) Digital technology team has developed a new dedicated webpage of curated content to support schools and teachers engaged in distance learning in order to provide continuity to pupils/students.
PDST has also prepared a new online teacher training course to help teachers continue to teach and support their students' learning online. For those to whom this is completely new and quite challenging, it covers how to get started. Those who are already comfortable with providing online support to their students will also find this course useful as it covers finding online resources, communicating with students and creating digital resources.
I have a concern regarding the work of my current 2nd year students and 5th year students. What measures will be put in place to deal with deficits that arise that impact on their Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate Examinations respectively in 2021?
ASTI will be pursuing this issue of concern that has been raised by members.
Further information will be provided as soon as it is available.
When will schools re-open for all students to commence the 2020/2021 school year?
Decisions regarding all operational matters in schools are entirely guided by the advice of the public health authorities. In addition, it is also the case that the reopening of schools will be impacted by a necessity to delay return in the context of the late Leaving Certificate Examinations in July/August 2020 and the marking requirements. The demands of the present school year will undoubtedly impact on the new school year. Sustainability is a primary concern for the ASTI and we are seeking a break from all school activities at the beginning of September.
The ASTI has entered discussions at a working group that has been set up by the Department of Education and Skills for contingency planning for State Examinations 2020. The group is a forum where the second-level education stakeholders can all contribute their views and concerns regarding the implementation of the Minister’s decision for the running of the examinations.
The ASTI will be pursuing this issue of concern that has been raised by members.
Further information will be provided as soon as it is available.
