Crowe calls for recognition of teacher volunteer hours towards Croke Park Agreement requirement

Clare Fianna Fáil TD, Cathal Crowe is calling on the Minister for Education to recognise teacher volunteer hours as being part of the of additional out-of-hours work required by primary school teachers under the Croke Park Agreement.

Deputy Crowe, who is the Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth, made the call during an appearance of the Minister for Education and Youth before the committee on Wednesday 18th June.

The Croke Park Agreement, which became operational in February 2011, requires teachers to work an additional 36 hours at primary level and 33 hours at second level to provide for a range of activities to take place without reducing class contact time.

Deputy Crowe is calling for the important work of teachers who contribute to the school’s sporting and social life to be recognised by allowing these hours to be put towards the mandatory hours under the agreement.

According to Deputy Crowe: “I’m calling on the Minister for Education to review the Croke Park agreement as it pertains to teachers.

“Every single day of the week, teachers give up a huge amount of time on a voluntary basis after school to coach sports teams, take choir practice sessions, and to lead all sorts of extracurricular activities. These hours are given freely out of a teacher’s own time and takes them away from their families.

“Prior to my election to the Dáil in 2020, I worked as a primary school teacher and would voluntarily coach school teams two afternoons a week. I know from teaching colleagues from around the country that this is replicated in almost every school around Ireland. Indeed, the Cumann na mBunscol organisation, which coaches and leads inter-school competitions at primary school level, is often glowingly mentioned on the steps of Croke Park on All-Ireland Sunday. The Cumann na mBunscol organisation is part of the backbone of the GAA nationally and without the incredible coaching that goes on in schools, the GAA would not be what it is today.

“Additionally, at second level, much of the recent success of inter-county GAA teams and indeed the Irish Rugby Team is contributed to the high level of coaching provided by teachers and volunteers after school each day.

“Aside from teaching, I am aware of many other fabulous, non-sporting activities that are led by teachers on a voluntary basis each day after school. These include yoga, cookery lessons, speech and drama, dance classes, photography clubs and chess.

“It would win huge good-will with teachers if the Minister accepted that all of this voluntary work could be considered part of the hours of additional work that the Croke Park agreement requires of them. The deal has been in place for well over a decade now and I’m glad that the Minister has agreed to me that a review will shortly take place with the unions representing teachers. I hope that my ask can be included in this because the status quo is rather demeaning to teachers who give so much and help to shape the lives of children and adolescents so positively and yet the current Croke Park agreement recognises none of this.

“What I am suggesting would cost the exchequer absolutely nothing but it would, in policy terms, recognise and place a high value on the after-school volunteerism of teachers and it would be a major nod of respect to those who give so much to the profession and the children that are under the tutelage beyond the standard school day.”