3.8)            Career Breaks Scheme (ref. CL 10/2011)

A career break is a period of unpaid leave from employment of not less than one school year and not more than ten school years with an entitlement to resume employment at the end of the period, subject to whatever regulations are in force regarding redeployment. The maximum amount of time that can be taken for a career break at any one time is 5 years. A subsequent career break may not be taken until the teacher has served for a period equal in length to the previous career break.

In exceptional circumstances, the Board of Management may authorise a teacher to commence a career break during the course of a school year, but, in this case, the period of special leave will terminate not earlier than the end of the subsequent school year.

Teachers who have satisfactorily completed 12 months continuous service with the current employer and who have not reached compulsory retirement age may be granted special leave without pay for a career break.

The objectives of the Career Breaks Scheme are to provide new employment opportunities in the teaching sector and to facilitate teachers who wish to take time out for personal or business reasons. A career break may be allowed for purposes such as

o   Personal Development

o   Voluntary Service Overseas

o   Education

o   Public Representation

o   Childcare/Dependent care

o   Self-employment.

Policy on Career Breaks

The Board of Management is required to develop a policy for granting career breaks specific to the needs of the particular school. In developing a policy, the Board should take account of the objectives of the Scheme, and have due regard for any difficulties that might be created by permitting a number of career breaks and/or other non statutory leave of absence at the same time. Over and above all other considerations, the welfare and educational needs of the pupils must take precedence.

Application Procedure

An application for a career break, including details of duration and purpose, must be submitted to the Board of Management not later than 1st March prior to the school year in which it is proposed to commence the career break. Applications for extensions and notification of intention to return to teaching must also be submitted by the 1st March. A lesser period of notice may be accepted by the Board in exceptional circumstances.

A written notice of approval or refusal to the teacher must be issued by 1st April at the latest and notice of the career break absence must be submitted to the Department (via the On Line Claims System) on or before 1st May.

Filling of Vacant Teaching Posts

Posts vacated by teachers on career breaks may be filled on a temporary basis from school-year to school-year provided the posts can be accommodated within the school’s normal staffing allocation. If this is not the case, the Department’s written approval is required to fill a “vacancy” created by a career break. Substitute teachers engaged in these circumstances must be issued with Fixed Term Contracts which clearly state that they will terminate on the return of the teacher on career break.

Health Declaration

A teacher returning from a career break in excess of two school years shall be screened by the Occupational Health Service (OHS) in accordance with procedures set down in DES CL 65/2008. It is a pre-requisite for the restoration of salary that the teacher is deemed medically fit for teaching duties by the OHS before s/he is permitted to resume his/her teaching post.