A shortage of teachers coming forward to assess the Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle written exams has led to a further increase in wages.
The State Board of Examiners (SEC) has relaunched its examiner recruitment campaign with an offer for a higher salary for 2023.
It amounts to €900 extra for Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied written examiners and €700 extra for Junior Cycle written examiners.
The 2023 stimulus payment means Leaving Cert examiners can typically earn between $7,721 and $10,844, depending on the subject highlighted, the SEC said.
In the case of the Junior Cycle, with the addition of the 2023 incentive payment, examiners typically earn between €4,858 and €5,010, depending on the subject marked.
The final amount is a combination of one-off payments, such as for attending a marking convention, a fee per marked paper, and the 2023 incentive.
The SEC describes the 2023 raise as a written incentive for examiner recruitment and retention and says it is a one-off.
The SEC has struggled in recent years to recruit enough examiners for the written, oral, and practical exams.
While rates have steadily increased, a further increase has been approved for 2023.
Examiners are also paid for travel, lodging and meals in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform Public Sector’s travel and lodging rules and rates.
The SEC has determined that the shortage of teachers coming forward to grade and grade state exams is a major contributor to the recent delays in issuing results.
This year, too, the results of Leaving Cert will be postponed to the beginning of September, which is a cause of great concern in higher education.
Another reason for the delayed results – traditionally announced in mid-August – is the recently introduced second session of the Leaving Cert in July, for students who have a death or serious illness in June.
Issues around controlling grade inflation related to the exceptional grading arrangements at the height of the Covid pandemic, when grades were based on teachers’ grades, also play a role.
The SEC said it was undertaking a comprehensive review of the issue of examiner recruitment with the main goal of substantially increasing the number of educators involved in the work.
“The experience is positive, which significantly improves the teacher’s professional competence and earning potential,” the SEC said.
The SEC added that a working group, made up of representatives from school boards and teachers’ unions, had been set up to look at measures designed to ensure that sufficient teachers are available to carry out this vital work in a sustainable way in the future. to feed.
“Teachers are the lifeblood of the national exam system and the SEC relies on their involvement in the assessment of the exams.
“With their support and the support of all education stakeholders, we are able to deliver the annual state exams for the benefit of individual students, the education system and society at large,” it added.
Oral exams will take place next week and wages have improved to reflect the transition into the first week of Easter holidays, which continue this year.
Lecturers who give the speaking engagements next week will earn between € 1,616 and € 2,614.