Further Education Teachers' (Eligibility) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations revoke and replace the Further Education General Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973 and the Further Education General Amending Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1974. The Regulations provide for teachers in institutions of further education—

(a) to have such qualifications as may be approved by the Department of Education (“the Department”) (regulation 5); and

(b) to satisfy the age requirements (regulation 6) and health requirements (regulation 7).

Regulation 7 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 board may suspend his employment and the opportunity is given to the teacher to submit medical evidence and to make representations to the board.

Regulation 8 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 9 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, and to direct a board to suspend or terminate a teacher’s employment. The Department must first consult the board and give the teacher concerned an opportunity to make representations to the Department. The Department may remove or modify any such prohibition or restriction.

The Regulations also make the following principal changes—

regulation 10 requires a board 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;

new teachers are no longer required to serve a probationary period; and

the Department may no longer prohibit or restrict a teacher’s employment on educational grounds.