The School Chaplain Terms and Conditions of Appointment

Last updated: Sat, Sep 16th, 2017 10:19:25 am

Provision is made for the appointment of a Roman Catholic Chaplain in all Community and Comprehensive Schools with Catholic Patronage. The School Chaplain is appointed by the Board of Management in accordance with procedures outlined for the appointment of a teacher subject to equivalent terms and conditions of appointment. A Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) is conferred on the Chaplain following the standard probationary year as for a permanent teaching post.

The Chaplain is appointed in addition to the school allocation of wholetime teacher equivalents, and is paid a teacher's salary by the Department of Education and Skills.

School Chaplaincies paid by the State are regarded as teaching posts and those appointed to them should be registered with the Teaching Council as outlined in CL 52/2013. Special provision is made, however, that any school Chaplain currently in employment who cannot gain registration with the Teaching Council is permitted to continue in his or her primary role in pastoral care but is prohibited from teaching. New appointees to Chaplain Posts must be registered teachers.

The Chaplain is required to teach four hours of class instruction per week. Other Chaplaincy duties include visitation of homes, religious services, retreats and celebrations, as well as counselling. The Chaplain is also expected to take an interest in the extra-curricular activities of the school, to encourage young people to be involved in the community, to be available during state examinations and to be in contact with the adult education student body.

Chaplaincy is a full-time job and requires full-time commitment. As a staff member, the Chaplain is expected to share in the corporate responsibility for discipline and good order. In this context, it is reasonable to expect that the Chaplain shares supervisory duties, but it is important that the special role of the Chaplain in developing the spirituality of students and in providing a strong Christian witness is not compromised by too much involvement as a disciplinarian.

Although no specific provision is made for the appointment of a Chaplain in Comprehensive Schools, Boards of Management are advised to seek such an appointment as a matter of equity.

Appointment of Chaplains

Following discussions at the Teachers' Conciliation Conference the following have been agreed:

Selection Committee

The selection committee shall comprise 5 people:

  • 2 Religious representatives

  • 2 ETB representatives

  • 1 educational expert to be agreed between the representatives of the Trustees

Where the Diocese is the only non-ETB trustee of the school the composition of the selection committee will be as outlined above.

Where the Diocese and one or more other non-ETBs trustees are involved, one of the selection committee will be from the competent religious authority (the Diocese) and the other will be an agreed nominee of the other religious trustees.

Where the Diocese is not a trustee, one of the selection committee will be from the competent religious authority (the Diocese) and the other will be an agreed nominee of the other religious trustees.

Tuition Hours

The contracted tuition element of the chaplaincy contract is for up to a maximum of four hours’ tuition.

Process for dealing with underperformance or conduct of Chaplains

Underperformance or misconduct by a school Chaplain will be dealt with in accordance the provisions of Section 24(3) of the 1998 Education Act and the appropriate circular for the Suspension and Dismissal of Teachers CL 49/2018.

Contract & Duties

All newly appointed chaplains from September 2014 are subject to the duties and contract as approved by the TCC and attached below

These contracts are offered on a permanent basis. Any existing chaplain who opts to change from his/her existing contract to this permanent contract may do so; in which case the new duties will apply.

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