Ireland’s teacher recruitment and retention crisis at second level is worsening, new findings from a survey conducted by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) indicate.
The survey, carried out in over 100 second level schools across the country by the Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Association of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) found that 77 per cent of schools who had advertised positions in the previous six months had received zero applications.
The research further found that 64 per cent of schools had unfilled vacancies due to recruitment and retention difficulties.
The trade union representing teachers is calling for immediate action to ensure that Irish schools can continue to put teachers in front of classes, and that students can have access to the full breadth of subjects.
It comes as the survey found that Irish secondary schools were being left with no choice but to drop certain subjects due to the worsening crisis – with 18 per cent of students having to drop subjects, according to the survey.
The union said that secure jobs of full hours, along with career progression opportunities, would be essential to tackling the current nationwide crisis.
The survey of principals and deputy principals in 104 secondary schools was con ducted in September and October of this year, representing a strong sample of the sector’s approximately 730 secondary schools.
It found that Maths was the most difficult subject to employ teachers in, followed by Construction studies/Woodwork, and Irish. Ranked in order, Biology, Home Economics, Chemistry, Business, Engineering/Metalwork, French and Agricultural Science were among the top ten most difficult when it came to securing and retaining staff.
Furthermore, 89 per cent of schools said they had experienced teacher recruitment difficulties in the previous six months, while 61 per cent said they had faced problems when it came to teacher retention in the previous six months.
Only one per cent said they believed that enough was being done at Government level to address the crisis – with 90 per cent saying they believed more could be done to tackle bureaucratic and incremental credit barriers, which they said were preventing Irish teachers living and working in other jurisdictions from returning to Ireland.
TUI President David Waters said that the government had been “consistently warned” about the crisis and the impact it would have on students, but still “refuses to acknowledge” the severity of the problem. He criticised a lack of decisive action, and said that some of the key indicators of the problem have even worsened since last year.
“Schools are displaying remarkable innovation in dealing with these challenges, but there is simply no more flexibility left to give,” Mr Waters said.
“Sticking plasters measures are seen as such by those in school communities, and principals feel abandoned by government on this issue.”
‘AN UNAFFORDABLE PROFESSION FOR TOO MANY IN IRISH SOCIETY’
Mr Waters said it was also clear that the impact of Ireland’s accommodation crisis was exacerbating the problem – especially in circumstances where teachers had contracts which were less than full hours.
“Worryingly, the cost of pursuing the two-year PME with no guarantee of a job of full hours afterwards is making teaching an unaffordable profession for too many in Irish society,” he continued.
“At the very least, new entrants to the profession must have a job of full hours and access to the career progression options that existed before the last recession.”
President of Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Association, Mr Adrian Power, said that the most damaging finding in the survey was the fact that just one per cent of those surveyed believed enough was being done by the government.
“The continuing inaction is utterly unacceptable,” Mr Power said.
“The worsening of this situation is also creating additional work for already overtasked principals in schools – a significant number report losing teachers subsequent to the setting of the year’s timetable, while many others report situations where teachers accept a position only to later reject it.
“We understand why teachers are forced to do this given that they might be offered more hours in a school elsewhere, but it is extremely time-consuming and stressful for principals. Schools need larger teaching allocations that would allow them to offer full hours rather than just fractions of jobs.”
He said Ireland must recognise that “excellently qualified graduates” from this country are highly sought after in other realms of employment, and as teachers in other jurisdictions.
“In this regard, offering them enhanced career structures through more middle management opportunities would also greatly assist principals and deputy principals who are struggling with burnout from an ever-expanding list of duties,” he added.