Schools are crying out for urgent measures to plug problematic staffing gaps that undermine students’ education
Another added: “It is soul-destroying that there are clerical issues that are standing in the way of some form of respite for these children… I am writing to you as a school principal who is begging on behalf of the most vulnerable children in her school that you look at this issue immediately…”Minister for Education Norma Foley has pointed to a host of initiatives aimed at boosting teacher supply such as easing employment restrictions for teachers on career breaks, job shares or those who are...
The Department of Education, however, will be wary of creating too many permanent posts if teaching hours are not there to justify them. Demographics are also due to decline at second level from 2024 onwards. Reducing the qualifying time seems unlikely, given the extensive work involved in designing teachers’ qualifications and protecting the quality of education. For those who want to qualify faster, there are options of shorter – or concurrent – four-year undergraduate courses at primary and second level.
In addition, there are many teachers who have qualified abroad – both Irish and non-Irish – who would like to teach in Ireland but face a range of administrative and bureaucratic hurdles. Many, especially, express frustration with challenges getting Teaching Council registration. Recent changes mean an additional cohort of student teachers will be available soon: third- and fourth-year student teachers in undergraduate programmes can now register with the Teaching Council; over 2,100 student teachers have so far applied to do so. Once registered, these student teachers can be employed by a school to cover substitutable vacancies.
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