Job Bridge: Exploitation of Irish Teachers?

July 17, 2015
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0 minute read

Hello everyone,
I don’t usually post about or get involved in anything negative on my website. Many people have contacted me asking me to write about the pay cuts to NQTs, and to highlight the unfairness in the system, but I don’t. My website is about positivity. I love teaching, and teaching is all I want to talk about. I know it is important to spread the word and try to fight for the best possible pay and working conditions, but other sites and facebook pages do that. My page is about day to day teaching, resources I use and advice for teachers.

That being said however, I have to deviate from my stance this once, in response to a post which featured on the ‘Voice for Teachers’ Facebook page. One brave teacher posted to share his/her experiences of the Job Bridge programme. The post actually made me feel so tremendously sad. It was written by an enthusiastic teacher, who wanted to complete his/her DIP. As no jobs appeared, the teacher decided to complete the DIP under the Job Bridge scheme. That is to say, a qualified teacher worked for a measly fifty euro a week. After this, jobs came up in the school and the NQT was not successful in his/her application. This was just such a disheartening story.

I urge anyone reading this not to do the Job Bridge scheme. It makes a mockery of our profession. Any schools which take part in it are certainly not schools I would wish to work in. Some poor teachers are obviously feeling under pressure to complete the DIP, and in a fit of desperation turn to Job Bridge. The schools should not take advantage of such teachers, you have to wonder- would that principal who’s ‘hiring’ you work for fifty euro a week? I doubt it!

Now if you have completed your DIP via the scheme, please don’t worry about putting it on your application form for applying for jobs. It shows a certain level of determination. If you are considering doing Job Bridge however, please think again. It constitutes a break in service, which would affect your panel rights and your pension. It is exploitation in every sense of the word, so please don’t allow yourself or our profession to suffer. Job Bridge must be avoided at all costs, if not, then where will it end?

That is just my opinion, and it is the first and last ‘political’ type post I will write![pb_builder]

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