A KERRY general election candidate, who is a secondary school teacher, has described as “simply unfair” the fact that school secretaries in the county are still feeling the brunt of a two-tier pay structure.
Cllr Norma Moriarty said it must be reversed in 2019 and currently just 10 per cent of the 3,500 school secretaries across the country are employed by the Department of Education. The remaining 90 per cent are paid for out of school funding which supports their wages, caretakers and other school supplies.
“As a teacher myself, I am acutely aware of how hard our school secretaries work. Without them, schools wouldn’t function,” Cllr Moriarty said.
“Our secretaries and caretakers are vital members of all school teams and are crucial to the care and well-being of our students and teachers. They deserve better pay and conditions”.
She said the secretaries have no safeguards, no pensions, no sick leave entitlements and no incremental pay scale increases.
The wage gap between two individuals carrying out the same job is often in excess of €10,000 per annum.
“The minister must get to grips with this glaring anomaly. School secretaries are expected to take on huge responsibilities, from complex administration to organising school events and training days,” Cllr Moriarty remarked.
© KillarneyToday.com: We have changed the face of local news coverage
Advertise with Kerry’s premier news source: Over 300,000 views every month. Over 20,000 followers on Facebook. Call 087-2229761
