Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
763. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers, primary and post-primary currently seconded to the Professional Development Service for Teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1127/22]
View answer764. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the actions and duties the Professional Development Service for Teachers has been undertaking since March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit and schools were forced to close; and if she will confirm reports that many of those working for the service have been working from home conducting research. [1128/22]
View answer765. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers recruited to the Professional Development Service for Teachers in each year since its establishment. [1129/22]
View answer766. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the financial cost of keeping the Professional Development Service for Teachers organisation in place; the cost of substituting teachers in the schools from which they were seconded to the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1130/22]
View answer767. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education if she will consider returning Professional Development Service for Teachers seconded teachers to their classrooms in this critical time of emergency in schools. [1131/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 763, 764, 765, 766 and 767 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, in November 2021, my Department announced further supplementary measures to increase the availability of substitute teachers for schools in the current school year. These additional temporary arrangements have been put in place in the context of COVID-19 to assist with the availability of substitutes until the February mid-term break, when it will be reviewed.
As part of these further supplementary measures, the Teacher Education support services funded by my Department, including the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), were asked to release teachers who are on secondment to make themselves available to provide substitute cover in schools. Arrangements have been made for available teachers from these services to register with an existing Primary Supply Panel or on Subseeker.ie.
In addition, the majority of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) where substitution is required has been deferred until after the February 2022 mid-term break. Planned CPD relating to reforms in Senior Cycle examinable subjects will continue.
The PDST has responsibility for delivering professional development supports to teachers and school leaders in all areas of curriculum and policy for schools. Key to this role is the development and delivery of training with regard to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's (NCCA) statutory curriculum comprising a number of subjects at Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle level.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of CPD moved online during 2020. This did not affect the level of CPD provided as teachers and school leaders continued to access regular CPD events and a significant range of new CPD supports were developed and provided to assist schools with the move to remote teaching and learning.
During the period when schools were closed, PDST continued to provide supports to schools and teachers remotely. Planned face-to-face CPD support was adapted and delivered remotely via webinars. A significant level of support was provided to support schools and teachers in providing remote teaching and learning to students.
As schools re-opened, teachers and school leaders continued to require a significant level of support in the 2020/21 and 2021/2022 school years in a number of key areas, many of which relate to the specific challenges posed by Covid-19. Examples of key areas include:
- CPD relating to reforms in Senior Cycle examinable subjects
- Health and Wellbeing including Child Protection
- Leadership
- DEIS schools/supporting students at risk of educational disadvantage
- Digital Technologies
Teacher technical competence
Using Digital Technologies in enhancing teaching, learning and assessment
Leading teaching and learning in schools (for Principals and school leaders)
Currently, the total number of teachers seconded to the PDST is 182. The number of teachers recruited to PDST since its establishment in 2010 is 389. The annual cost of replacing a teacher in the schools from which they are seconded to the service, based on the average cost of paying a teacher, is approximately €66,780 at Primary and €67,600 at Post Primary.
In addition to these pay costs, the funding allocated by my Department to support the PDST in 2021 was €6.961 million. The move to online provision of CPD in 2020 and 2021 resulted in costs associated with face-to-face CPD such as travel and subsistence and ancillary costs reducing significantly.
