Updated 5pm with college statement

Stella Maris college was breaking terms of the collective agreement, the Union of Professional Educators warned.

In a statement, the union said teachers were working well beyond the stipulated amount of agreed lessons. Various had been issued with a working load of 26 lessons, which was “beyond the maximum load agreed,” the union said.

The union said it was in possession of emails in which the senior management team was asking teachers to volunteer as replacements.

"It seems to transpire that certain teachers have been exempted from replacements for some unknown reason at the detriment of their colleagues," the union added.

Teachers had also been asked to put in additional hours for replacement lessons when they went on educational visits outside the school, despite “the Secretariat of Catholic Education agreeing this should be contact time”, the union said.

The Union of Professional Educators said it would be meeting the school management in the coming days.

Members have been advised not to perform additional replacements. Members who have been issued replacement lessons exceeding the maximum load were asked to report to the union.

'Schools obliged to maximise teachers' working load'

In a statement, the Secretariat for Catholic Education said schools had to Sadhere to new requirements set in the Collective Agreement while having been obliged by the Education Authorities to maximise the number of lessons teachers are assigned.

Stella Maris College said the union's complaint concerned only three teachers who had been assigned a single lesson over the agreed work-load. These teachers were being given time off to compensate for the extra lessons, the school said, describing the situation as a temporary one until more teaching staff could be found. 

"Teachers are free to refuse these additional lessons and their decision will continue to be respected by the College. Teachers exempted from replacements already carry out an appropriate number of lessons and other responsibilities," the school said.