Fines for not taking part in inspections 'criminalises' teachers

The Education Minister Paul Givan has been accused of "criminalising" teachers by one teaching union.

It comes after the Department of Education published plans to fine teachers up to £2,500 for not taking part in school inspections.

The department has proposed changing the law to make it an offence to obstruct an inspection.

In a statement, Givan said without inspections "many schools may not have been identified to receive the support they need to improve".

Main school inspections normally take place every seven years, but can lead to further follow up inspections.

"I am proposing to bring forward a standalone bill to remove any ambiguity from our current legislation and create an absolute requirement to co-operate with inspection," said Givan.

Inspectors examine how a school is performing, including observing lessons, seeking feedback from pupils and parents and monitoring school policies on things like safeguarding.

The results of inspections for each school are then published.

But as part of industrial action short of strike during pay disputes in recent years, teachers have boycotted inspections.

In March, an expert panel appointed by Givan recommended new laws to require teachers to co-operate with inspections as part of a wider review of Northern Ireland's education system.

The department is now consulting on the proposed law change.

Justin McCamphill from NASUWT told BBC News NI he believed the move was unnecessary.

"We've reached an agreement with the minister around teacher's pay and on workload. We don't need this at this time.

"Teachers are viewing this measure as criminalising action short of strike. This is unacceptable and needs to be withdrawn," he added.

He added that "members are very angry about this".

"They were on action short of strike recently and they're now saying to us 'well, the minister's going to criminalise us,' and we believe criminalising industrial action is the wrong way to go," he said.

"The minister needs to be addressing the issues, working with us and making sure we can build a world class education system in Northern Ireland."

The department said that it would bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.

For instance teachers in Scotland can face up to three months in prison for obstructing school inspections, according to the department.

In England and Wales it is an offence intentionally to obstruct an inspection and a person found guilty of an offence is liable to a fine of up to £2,500.

Mr McCamphill said the context of education in Northern Ireland also needed to be taken into account.

"We've just reached an agreement on pay and workload. There is to be an independent review of workload which is due to report in November," he said.

"We should allow that to happen first," he said.

"Education is different across each of the jurisdictions in the UK.

"For example in Northern Ireland, teachers actually teach for more hours per week than teachers in the rest of the UK.

"So he doesn't need to do this."