The Department of Education and Skills has issued Circular Letter 17/2019 titled ‘Teacher Fee Refund Scheme 2018’.
The purpose of the Teacher Fee Refund Scheme is to provide funding towards the cost of course participation and examination fees on successful completion of professional development courses. The funding is available for courses that are directly relevant and of benefit to schools and that are subject to certification/award by an appropriate accreditation authority recognised by the Department of Education and Skills (DES).
Currently serving post-primary teachers who are registered with the Teaching Council, paid by the State and employed in a Department of Education and Skills recognised post primary school are eligible to apply for funding under the scheme. This includes permanent whole- time teachers, temporary whole-time teachers, part-time teachers, substitute teachers, teachers holding contracts of indefinite duration and teachers holding fixed-term contracts who are employed for the full school year and who provide teaching service during each school week.
Fully registered teachers on secondment within the education sector are eligible to apply under the scheme.
Applications will only be accepted for courses/part of courses completed in the period 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 29th March 2019.
The TUI consders the scheme to be wholly inadequate and, jointly with our sister unions, is currently seeking improvements to the scheme at the Teachers’ Conciliation Council.