Gay Mitchell
Question:6 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers who have left the profession in each of the past two years. [7265/00]
Other Questions. - Teacher Numbers.
As the Deputy will know, teachers may depart from teaching on either a permanent or a temporary basis. Permanent departures are comprised largely of retirements while those of a temporary nature are, for the most part, made up of career breaks. The position with regard to permanent departures is that 868 of the teachers on my Department's payroll retired from teaching in 1998 and 887 retired in 1999.
In addition to these retirements, approximately 450 teachers departed on career break in each of those years. A career break may last for a period of up to five years and, from available evidence, the majority of teachers return to teaching at the end of the career break. Some of those who resign at the end of the career break return to teaching in later life. Occasionally, teachers who retire on a voluntary basis before reaching compulsory retirement age will also return to teaching.
An indicator of the numbers of teachers who resigned from the profession before reaching pensionable age, currently age 55, and who did not take up pensionable employment in another arm of the public service can be derived from the numbers who apply for the payment of a preserved pension. A preserved pension may be payable from the age of 60 years. In 1998, 47 preserved pensions were awarded, in addition to the 868 pensions awarded because of current retirements, and in 1999, 65 preserved pensions were awarded, in addition to the 887 pensions awarded because of current retirements.
My Department's payroll relates to teachers in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. Information regarding vocational teachers is maintained by the vocational education committees by whom they are employed and paid.
Is the Minister concerned about the position in teaching at present? It is becoming impossible to fill teaching vacancies in many parts of the city, particularly in disadvantaged areas. What will his strategy be to enhance the career attractiveness of teaching in disadvantaged areas?
The factor which would mostly affect this is the intake of teachers in training colleges. The total projected intake in the 1999-2000 academic year is 1,283 compared with an intake of 500 in 1996-97. The figure has been more than doubled. In the 2000-01 academic year it is projected that approximately 1,900 newly trained teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates as compared with 1995 when 291 graduated. Some 1,900 will graduate in 2000-01 as against 291 in 1995. A great deal of work has been done to increase the numbers of teachers coming on stream.
Is it not the case that if the numbers who retire, take career breaks and opt out of the career early are taken into account the figure will be well over 1,300 out of a complement of approximately 18,000 teachers in the sectors to which the Minister referred? Is it true that apart from the numbers retiring there is an attrition rate of close to 5% of teachers taking career breaks or other opportunities? Is it correct that if this trend continues over a period of five years it will represent the loss of more than a quarter of the teaching complement? Does this not indicate a looming problem in relation to teaching as an attractive profession for people who are very sought after elsewhere in the economy?
The total number of teachers at primary level is 21,600. There is a problem in relation to the numbers of teachers but I congratulate and applaud the work of training colleges in greatly increasing their output at the specific request of the Government. This has led to a much improved output of teachers. From that point of view, there is a big increase in capacity and enrolments. This augurs reasonable well for the future but there is a major problem in the interim because of the fall-off period in 1995-97, which were not great years for enrolments.
Will the Minister collect information on unfilled vacancies in schools designated as disadvantaged in order to determine the problem in this area?
Yes, I will see what I can do in this regard. I will need that information for the task being undertaken in order to improve the position of disadvantaged schools with the money the Government is making available.