Sahel EDU

Managing part-time teachers: hours, attendance, pay and continuity of lessons

A part-time teacher is paid for the hours they work, and only for those. All the management therefore comes down to one question: how many hours did they really teach, and how can it be shown? This guide gives the method for writing the agreement, counting hours, checking attendance, paying without disputes and keeping lessons going when they are missing.

Write the agreement before the first lesson

In many schools, part-time teachers are numerous, often paid by the hour. Without a written agreement, disagreements arise when it is time to pay: the head counts one session fewer, the teacher counts one more. Write the agreement before the first lesson, and have it signed by both sides.

The labour rules that apply to this kind of engagement depend on your situation: have them checked according to the law that applies to your school and your own rules. The contract below is a model of content, not a legal text.

The classes and subjects entrusted, and the number of hours planned per week.
The hourly rate, and what is paid: the hour taught, invigilation, marking of tests.
The period covered, the start date and how it ends.
The duties: timetable, lesson log, marks handed in on time.
The payment terms: date, method, supporting document handed over.

Counting the hours actually worked

The hour paid is an hour taught. It is shown by two sources that cross-check: the timetable, which says what was planned, and the clock-in or the lesson log, which say what took place.

Note each week the sessions planned in the timetable for each part-time teacher.
Compare them with real attendance: signature, clock-in or lesson log.
Distinguish the hour taught, the hour not taught because of the teacher, and the hour not taught because of the school (public holiday, exam).
Record make-up hours, with the date and the class.
Close the count on a fixed date each month, the same for everyone.

Checking attendance day by day

A check made at month end comes too late: nobody can rebuild from memory a lesson missed three weeks earlier. The useful check is the daily one, which allows an immediate response.

An attendance sheet or a clock-in on arrival and departure.
A supervisor who reports every morning the lessons without a teacher.
A countersignature of the lesson log, session by session, by the form teacher or the administration.
A written reason for every absence, with the planned make-up date.

Paying by the hour, without disputes

Payment is simple when the count is. The calculation fits on one line: the number of hours taught multiplied by the hourly rate, less the deductions provided for in the agreement. For example, 24 hours taught in the month, at an agreed rate, give the amount due; there is nothing else to invent.

Give each part-time teacher a detailed statement for the month, with the hours counted and not counted, and the reason for each gap. A teacher who understands the statement rarely disputes it.

A monthly statement for each part-time teacher: date, class, hours, remarks.
The teacher’s signature on the statement before payment.
A receipt or a payslip for each payment.
A written rule for make-up hours and for exam periods.
A clear time limit for objections, for example one week after the statement is handed over.

Keeping lessons going

The real cost of an absent part-time teacher is not the hour paid, it is the hour lost for the class. Plan a procedure from the start of the year.

A list of possible substitutes for each subject, with their availability.
Work instructions in the lesson log that any adult can apply.
A supervised study room when no substitute is available.
A planned make-up session, with date and room, so as not to lose syllabus progress.
Tracking progress in hours, to see early whether the syllabus is falling behind.

With Sahel EDU

In Sahel EDU, each teacher has a rate, by the hour or by the month. Hours are calculated from the timetable compared with QR Code clock-ins, and payroll comes out as a PDF payslip; the teacher reads their own pay in “My pay”. A lesson started without a teacher clocked in is flagged live, and attendance gaps are explained and followed in a monthly sheet.

The lesson log records the session, the content and the homework, and the progress of the syllabus is read in hours. A teacher can be shared with another school of the network, and a person can hold several posts under one account. Contribution rates are settings that the school has validated, and payroll declarations are prepared, not transmitted.

Frequently asked questions

How is a part-time teacher’s pay calculated?

By multiplying the number of hours really taught by the agreed rate, then applying the deductions in the agreement. The hour is shown by the timetable and real attendance.

Is a written contract needed for a part-time teacher?

It is strongly advised: it sets the classes, hours, rate, period and payment. Have it checked according to the law that applies to your school and your own rules.

How can a lesson be shown to have taken place?

By two sources that cross-check: the clock-in or attendance signature, and the lesson log of the session.

What should be done when a part-time teacher is absent?

Use a list of substitutes, leave instructions in the lesson log or arrange supervised study, then plan a make-up session.

Does Sahel EDU calculate part-time teachers’ hours?

Yes: hours are calculated from the timetable compared with clock-ins, with each teacher’s rate. The school has contribution rates validated, as they are settings of the school.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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