Relief funding for study awards and study leave positions

Study awards and study leave positions

Where a teacher or a principal is the recipient of a study award, or a study leave position, as set out in the Employment Agreements, they shall be granted leave with pay for the period of the study upon application to their employing board.

Where the study award is one of the awards set out in Appendix 2, leave to undertake the study award is at the discretion of the employing board. If the board approves the leave, teacher relief costs (where required) will be met by the Ministry in accordance with the relief costs section below.

Note: It is normally a condition of application that pro-forma approval has been granted by the employing board before the application can be accepted.

Fellowships, scholarships and awards

Prior approval must be given by the Ministry of Education for a teacher or a principal to be absent on leave with pay on one of the prestigious fellowships, scholarships, or awards listed in Appendix 1.

Relief costs

Where such approval has been granted the cost of the reliever is met from the first day of absence to the last day of the course or of the course assessment. A special charge code (MQ) is given in the letter of approval. All relief staff costs associated with such approved paid leave, including the salary of the reliever and any appropriate higher duties allowance(s) for staff acting in higher positions, are charged against this code. No reimbursement procedure is necessary.

Other fellowships or awards

Fellowships managed through the Royal Society, or study awards to private schools or other agencies, will normally be paid on invoice, or according to a negotiated schedule.

Discretionary study leave with pay

Where an employee is granted discretionary leave with pay to undertake study, other than for those awards set out in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, all costs of relief staff employed will need to be met by the board in addition to the employee's salary.

Employment of relief teachers

See Appendix 3 of this chapter for information about the employment conditions of relief teachers.