Concern over low teaching hours of lecturers

Some third-level lecturers are only teaching four hours a week, according to Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe.

Minister O’Keeffe said that he had recently been briefed about the fact that there was concern out there regarding the teaching hours of academics, in particular those working in Institutes of Technology.

He has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to conduct an audit of third-level spending.

There is speculation that Minister O’Keeffe may be planning to renegotiate teaching contracts.

The 2009 McCarthy report said current contracts did not allow Institute of Technology lecturers comply with the minimum terms of their contracts on teaching hours.