Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 3

Written Answers - School Staffing.

Michael Creed

Question:

248 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the specific difficulties facing secondary schools in recruiting metalwork and woodwork teachers; the number of teaching vacancies in these subject areas envisaged for the next school year; the number expected to qualify from these courses in Limerick in 2001; the numbers of these expected to make themselves available to the teaching professions; and the long-term consequences for these subjects in the curriculum. [14214/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The supply and demand for second level teachers, including woodwork and metalwork teachers, is the subject of ongoing review by my Department in consultation with the Higher Education Authority. I am aware of certain difficulties being encountered by schools in the recruitment of teachers in specific subject areas. The level of difficulty varies by location, subject combinations and the tenure of the post available.

My Department is not aware of any posts for teachers of woodwork or metalwork in second level schools remaining unfilled in the current year. The final year numbers in the Bachelor of Technology in Education (Materials and Construction Technology – formerly Wood and Building Technology) and in the Bachelor of Technology in Education (Materials and Engineering Technology – formerly Metal and Engineering Technology) in the current academic year are 24 students and 34 students respectively.

The Higher Education Authority undertakes an annual survey of the first destinations of award recipients in higher education in April of the year following graduation. Details of the survey responses from woodwork and metalwork graduates in 1999 are set out in the following table.

	Metalwork%	Woodwork%
First Destination
Permanent Teaching in Ireland	4	8
Part-time, Temporary or Substitute Teaching in Ireland	6	52
Other Work	8	8
Teaching Abroad	4	4
Further Study or Other Training	12	24
Seeking Employment	4	4

While it is not possible to predict the number of students who will be available for teaching positions, the data from the 1999 first destination survey suggests that a large proportion will be available for teaching posts.