Are there rules about employing probationers?

misterroy: I have the impression that there are rules like a probationer must be extra to a school’s needs. I do not remember where I read or heard it. Can someone point me to a web-link, or tell me I am mistaken?

GuessWho: I believe that orginally probationers were “super-numerate”, ie over and above the basic school complement of staff. This didn’t last long.

kibosh: It didn’t. Much cheapness took over and for many schools and departments the issue is a thorny one.

readyfortheweekend: Education manager in my LA was saying this week that probationers were being used to cover vacancies, secondments etc. Nowt “super-numerate” at all. Cheap labour to cover budgetary holes. No wonder they’ve been keen to have a ready supply of them in recent years.

Flyonthewall75: From memory, it was intended under the new teacher induction scheme that probationers would be supernumery (sic) to the staffing allocation. It was never adopted for financial reasons and so every year a large number of vacancies have to be held back for the training of probationers. The benefit is that it guarantees a one-year job for anyone entering teaching and no doubt this encourages some people to consider teaching or even change careers. The downside is that there are fewer full-time, permanent vacancies in schools for trained teachers.

mcmullet: I think you mean “supernumerary”. Unless they all need to be really good at maths.

www.tes.co.ukscotland.