Non-Permanent Teachers / Part-Time Teachers

Your Contract

The type of contract you hold depends on the reasons for the vacancy and the length of the vacancy.

You should always make sure that you have clear written information on the terms and conditions of your job, either in the form of a letter of appointment, a written contract, or a written statement. It is important to keep this information as it may prove necessary in future.

This written information should let you know what kind of contract you hold. Alternatively, you can identify what type of contract you have and what it means for your job, salary and career below.

There are five categories of non-permanent teaching contracts:

1. Regular part-time teacher
2. Temporary whole-time teacher
3. Non-Casual Part-Time Teacher
4. Casual Part-Time Teacher
5. Unqualified Casual Part-Time Teacher

Regular part-time teacher

• Employed for school year before November 1st (or first day after school mid-term).
• Teaching for a prescribed number of hours per week.
• Paid salary to August 31st on pro-rata basis.
• Salary based on contracted hours per week as a fraction of 22 hours.

A regular part-time teacher (also known as pro-rata contracted) teacher is appointed where the need for a teacher is viable for at least a year. For example, you would have a pro-rata contract where you are covering concessionary hours or for a teacher on career break.

Regular part-time teachers are employed to teach a prescribed number of hours each week. They are employed for the full year, meaning they are paid a regular salary each fortnight until August 31. They are also paid during holidays.

Salary
A regular part-time teacher's salary is based on their relevant point on the salary scale plus allowances (if applicable) and the number of hours they are contracted to work each week.

To work out your correct weekly salary:
(a) Determine your relevant point on the salary scale, and add allowances (if applicable). Divide this number by 52 (weeks in the year)
(b) Divide again by 22 (22 hours = full time hours)
(c) Multiply by the number of hours you are contracted to work each week

This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid each week, before deductions. As teachers are paid every fortnight, you should multiply this figure by two to check if the 'gross salary' figure on your payslip is correct.   

Additional hours
If you work more than the prescribed number of hours in one week, you will be paid for these hours at an hourly rate determined by dividing your relevant salary point plus allowances (if applicable) by 735. 

Department Circular 0034/2009 directs schools to give consideration to requests by teachers to transfer from part-time to full-time work or to increase their working time should the opportunity arise. In doing so, as with all teaching posts, employers must have regard to the curricular needs of the school and the qualifications required for the post.

Incremental credit
Regular part-time teachers can claim incremental credit for each year worked on a regular part-time contract.

Entitlements
Regular part-time teachers cannot be treated any less favourably than permanent teachers, in terms of pay, pensions, promotion posts and general conditions of employment, unless objective grounds exist and are set out in writing. They have the same access to training and the same entitlements to leave, including maternity leave (to the end of the contract), parental leave, carer’s leave, compassionate leave, etc.

Sick leave
Regular part-time teachers are paid for sick leave. 

Posts of Responsibility
Non-permanent teachers are entitled to apply for posts of responsibility in second-level schools and their service of 200 hours or more in a year or 22 weeks or more in a year is reckonable as a year when calculating seniority. 

Temporary whole-time teacher

• Normally employed for a minimum of one year
• Teaching full hours
• Paid fortnightly until 31st August
• Salary based on relevant point on the salary scale, plus allowances

A temporary whole-time teacher is appointed to teach full hours in circumstances where a vacancy is generated by another teacher being on career break, secondment, or leave of absence and the school is within quota. Such a teacher may also be appointed where there is a need for a teacher but the Department of Education refuses to sanction a permanent position.

Salary
Temporary whole-time teachers are paid an incremental salary each fortnight over the year, including holiday periods.  

To work out your correct weekly salary:
(a) Determine your relevant point on the salary scale, and add allowances (if applicable).
(b) Divide this number by 52

This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid each week, before deductions. As teachers are paid every fortnight, you should multiply this figure by two to check if the 'gross salary' figure on your payslip is correct.  

Incremental credit
Temporary whole-time teachers can claim an increment for each year worked on a temporary whole-time contract.

Entitlements
Temporary whole-time teachers cannot be treated any less favourably than permanent teachers, unless objective grounds exist and are set out in writing. They have the same access to training and the same entitlements to leave, including maternity leave (to the end of the contract), parental leave, carer’s leave, compassionate leave, etc.  

Sick leave
Temporary whole-time teachers are paid during sick leave. 

Non-Casual Part-Time Teacher

• Contracted for more than 150 hours but for less than a full school year, e.g. covering for a maternity leave.
• Paid weekly rate based on incremental salary entitlement ÷ 735 x numbers of hours per week.
• Non casual part-time teachers accumulate statutory annual leave to the value of 12% of time worked and are paid this holiday pay during periods of school closures i.e.: Christmas, Easter, Summer.

A non-casual part-time teacher is appointed where the need for a teacher is less than a year but more than 150 hours in total. For example, you would have a non-casual part-time contract where you are covering for a colleague on maternity leave.

Non-casual part-time teachers are employed to cover a prescribed number of hours each week.

Salary
Non-casual part-time teachers are paid salary for the duration of their contract and are not paid during the summer or other holiday periods. They are paid only for hours worked at an hourly rate.

To work out your correct weekly salary:
(a) Determine your relevant point on the salary scale, and add allowances (if applicable).
(b) Divide this number by 735 (this will give you your hourly rate of pay)
(c) Multiply this by the number of hours you teach each week.

This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid each week, before deductions. As teachers are paid every fortnight, you should multiply this figure by two to check if the 'gross salary' figure on your payslip is correct.  

Additional hours
Department Circular 0034/2009 directs schools to give consideration to requests by teachers to transfer from part-time to full-time work or to increase their working time should the opportunity arise. In doing so, as with all teaching posts, employers must have regard to the curricular needs of the school and the qualifications required for the post. Additional hours are paid at the same rate.

Incremental credit
Non-casual contracted teachers can claim an increment if they work 600 hours in one year.

Entitlements
Non-casual part-time teachers cannot be treated any less favourably than permanent teachers, in terms of pay, pensions, promotion posts and general conditions of employment, unless objective grounds exist and are set out in writing. They have the same access to training and the same entitlements to leave, including maternity leave (to the end of the contract), parental leave, carer’s leave, compassionate leave, etc.

Sick Leave
The sick leave a non-casual part-time teacher is entitled to is dependant on what type of leave they are covering. See our sick leave section for more information.

Casual Part-Time Teacher

• Employed on an occasional or non-regular basis, e.g. covering for sick leave.
• Employed for less than 150 hours in school year.
• If hours exceed 150, the hours over 150 paid at rate of incremental salary ÷735.

A casual part-time teacher is appointed where there is an occasional or non-regular need for a teacher. For example, you would have a casual contract where you are covering for a teacher on sick leave.

Salary
Casual part-time teachers are paid only for the hours they work.

To work out your correct weekly salary:
Multiply the number of hours you worked during the week by your hourly rate. This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid for that week, before deductions. 

Additional hours
If you work in excess of 150 hours in one year, the additional hours are paid at a higher non-casual part-time rate. This rate is determined by dividing your relevant point on the salary scale plus allowances (if applicable) by 735.

Incremental credit
To claim incremental credit, casual part-time teachers must reach a threshold of 300 hours in one year. They will receive an increment for each 600 hours worked.

Sick leave
Casual part-time teachers have no formal entitlement to sick leave payment. However, a class A PRSI contributor casual part-time teacher may after more than 6 days of absence, be eligible for payment of social welfare sickness benefits during absences due to illness although this is dependent on the fulfilment of certain contribution qualifying conditions - details are available from the Department of Social Protection.

Unqualified Casual Part-Time Teacher

• Not a qualified teacher
• Employed on an occasional or non-regular basis, e.g. covering for sick leave.
• Employed for less than 150 hours in school year.

An unqualified casual part-time teacher is a person who is not qualified as a teacher but is appointed where there is an occasional or non-regular need for a teacher.

Salary
See salary scales information here. 

To work out your correct weekly salary:
Multiply the number of hours you worked during the week by your hourly rate. This will indicate how much gross salary you should be paid for that week, before deductions.

Sick leave
Unqualified Casual part-time teachers have no formal entitlement to sick leave payment. However, a class A PRSI contributor unqualified casual part-time teacher may after more than 6 days of absence, be eligible for payment of social welfare sickness benefits during absences due to illness although this is dependent on the fulfilment of certain contribution qualifying conditions - details are available from the Department of Social Protection.

Obtaining teacher qualifications
Unqualified teachers cannot register with the Teaching Council. Teaching Council registration is required for all new appointments in schools, is a requirement in order to be paid from State funds.

See also:

• ASTI Information Leaflet on Contracts 
• CIDs explained
• Understanding your payslip
• ASTI support for non-permanent teachers