Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2013
235. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to ensure that new qualified teaching graduates can take up employment in their profession here; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many newly graduated teachers have been forced to seek work abroad, and the great loss this is to the education sector here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25145/13]
View answerThe issue of teacher supply is kept under review by my Department. I acknowledge that the various budget measures that have taken place in recent years can limit the employment opportunities for newly qualified teachers. However, there are limits to the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund as a country.
The redeployment of surplus permanent teachers is the first mechanism to fill teaching posts in schools. This is key to the ability of my Department to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. There are standard arrangements in place for filling any remaining vacancies which gives employment opportunities for teachers on fixed-term or part-time contracts and also newly qualified teachers.
Data from the 2011 census show a significant increase in the numbers of people identifying themselves as teachers since the 2006 census. That increase is substantial even in relation to other occupations which also had an increase. Census data for 2011 show unemployment among this group, at 3.5%, well below the national average. That said, I am aware that there are newly qualified teachers not yet holding teaching positions in schools and measures have been taken to alleviate difficulties for new teachers. My Department has directed managerial authorities of schools to recruit unemployed teachers ahead of retired ones, in an effort to ease the difficulties for those who cannot find work in the profession.
In addition, the JobBridge National Internship Scheme can provide newly qualified teachers with opportunities to gain experience and to undertake the necessary teaching duties to complete the process of probation. The minimum service requirement for probation purposes in order to secure registration with the Teaching Council was decreased from 170 days to 100 days in the 2011/2012 school year.
