Office of Public Sector Information

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations revoke and replace the Further Education Teachers’ (Eligibility) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and the Further Education Teachers’ (Eligibility) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Regulation 5 provides for teachers in institutions of further education to have such qualifications as may be approved by the Department for Employment and Learning (“The Department”).

Regulation 6 provides that a person shall not be employed or continue to be employed as a teacher where he no longer satisfies the health requirements. A governing body may suspend his employment and the opportunity is given to the teacher to submit medical evidence and to make representations to the governing body.

Regulation 7 provides for a person who is not a qualified teacher to be temporarily employed where a governing body is unable to secure the services of a qualified teacher.

Regulation 8 enables the Department to prohibit or restrict the employment or further employment of a person as a teacher on medical grounds or on grounds of his misconduct. This regulation also enables the Department to direct a governing body to suspend or terminate a teacher’s employment. The Department must first consult the governing body and give the teacher concerned an opportunity to make representations to the Department. The Department may remove or modify any such prohibition or restriction.

Regulation 9 requires a governing body to provide the Department with information about any teacher it has dismissed on grounds of misconduct or would have considered so dismissing but for his resignation.

The Regulations make the following principal change—

There are no longer any age requirements for teachers.