Ruth Ramsey (asker) May 22, 2016:

Actually I meant to say "provisional employment/work".

Ruth Ramsey (asker) May 12, 2016:

Hi everyone, just to let you know that my client has clarified that by "final destination", he's referring to the specific school or location and not to the specialism.

Ruth Ramsey (asker) May 10, 2016:

Thanks Helena. That coincides with the explanation my client has given.

Helena Chavarria May 10, 2016:

In Catalonia, and I'm sure it's the same in Valencia, an 'interino' teacher is a person who hasn't passed, or hasn't taken, the official teaching exams (oposiciones). A teacher with a provisional post has passed the exams but has to wait a couple of years before they are assigned their definitive post.

An interim teacher is assigned their post for the following academic year at the end of the previous year, in July.

A teacher with a definitive post is a 'funcionario', which means they will have a job until they retire. In Catalonia there are a number of posts filled by 'interinos' because a) it's cheaper and b) it means that a school can either employ extra teachers or reduce the number, depending on the number of students attending the school during a given year.

For example, one year a maths dept. might comprise four funcionarios and two interims. If any one of the six people is off work for any reason, then the post is filled by a 'sustituto'.