“I’m a secondary school teacher. Every week, I see another headline warning of a “teacher shortage.” From my vantage point on the ground, this is as far from true as it gets.
Outside of Dublin, there is no shortage of secondary school teachers. In my own school— and in many others around the country—you’ll often find two teachers, and sometimes an SNA, assigned to a single class. This is what’s known as team-teaching or co-teaching.
On paper, team-teaching sounds like a progressive idea: two professionals collaborating to support learning. However, the research tells a more nuanced story. Studies suggest that while it can benefit specific groups—such as students with additional learning needs—it shows limited advantages for the majority. In my own experience, many students have been left confused as to why two adults are in the room, unsure of who’s “in charge” or what each teacher’s role actually is.
The reason this practice is becoming so widespread isn’t educational—it’s administrative. To “bulk up” teacher timetables and ensure positions are fully utilised, principals and deputy principals often fill schedules with co-teaching periods, sometimes with little or no consultation with staff. A colleague of mine had all but two of her weekly classes assigned as team-teaching sessions. In some cases, teachers are even placed in subjects they have never taught—or never intended to teach—simply to fill hours and maintain full-time status.
Not every school operates this way, of course, but many small rural schools do. And if it’s happening here, it’s safe to assume it’s happening elsewhere across the country.
Another growing trend is the reliance on international or exchange students to maintain enrolment numbers. In several of my classes, there are now more international students than Irish students. The purpose is clear: to keep enrolment figures high enough to retain teaching posts. While the intention might be understandable—ensuring schools stay open and staff employed—it’s still disheartening to see Irish students becoming a minority in their own classrooms.
Then there’s the issue of job advertisements. By law, schools must publicly list all vacancies online. Yet, it’s an open secret that many of these positions have already been filled internally. So young teachers, often recently qualified and eager to begin their careers, apply thinking they’re entering a fair and open competition—only to later discover the post was never truly available.
A colleague of mine recently applied for a position in a nearby school. After submitting her application and attending the interview, she was told the role required a minimum of three years’ experience—something that hadn’t been mentioned anywhere in the job listing. The irony? The position was for teaching Junior Cycle classes. I’ve personally secured jobs in the private sector with far higher pay and half the experience requirement.
The Department of Education frequently speaks of “teacher retention” as a priority, but on the ground, it feels like anything but. Young teachers face uncertainty, underemployment, and opaque hiring practices. Many are left feeling undervalued, overmanaged, and disillusioned.
So they leave. Some emigrate, seeking better pay and transparency abroad. Others leave the profession altogether. The result? A so-called “teacher shortage” that’s less about numbers—and more about how we treat the teachers we already have.”
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A teacher – granted anonymity to speak freely – writes for Gript