Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
346. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which she expects to be in a position to address issues of teacher shortages at all primary and or second-levels schools throughout the country, with particular reference to the need for locums; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6634/24]
View answerEnsuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government.
Budget 2024 contained a range of measures that demonstrate my commitment to continued investment in our education system.
• A professional masters’ of education incentive scheme will be introduced for newly qualified teachers graduating in 2024. Those newly qualified teachers who graduate with a PME will, subject to some conditions, be eligible for an incentive payment of up to €2,000 in 2025.
• Additionally, there will be an expansion in the number of upskilling programmes available. These programmes, which are free to teachers, increase the number of teachers who are qualified to teach in-demand subjects and reduce the level of out-of-field teaching. These new upskilling programmes in Irish, French, politics and society, and computer science will be in addition to existing upskilling programmes in maths, physics and Spanish.
• An additional 1,000 posts of responsibility will be provided in the school system for the 2024/25 school year. This is in recognition that school leaders play a key role in improving educational outcomes by creating a positive school climate and environment as well as motivating and empowering educators and learners within their school communities.
These new measures are in addition to a range of targeted measures that I have introduced in recent times, including:
• Ensuring initial teacher education providers created existing flexibilities that enable student teachers to support schools, either while on placement, or in a substitute capacity. In 2022/23, more than 2,700 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate student teachers registered with the Teaching Council and provided valuable support to schools as substitute teachers. In January this year there were 3,300 registered under Route 5 on the Teaching Council register.
• Continuing the operation of primary substitute teacher supply panels in 2023/24, with 590 teaching posts allocated to 166 panels covering nearly 2,900 schools. This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave.
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) employed in primary schools from 14 November 2023 may apply to the Teaching Council to complete the Droichead process while employed on a Supply Panel or Principal Release Time Post. The measure has been extended to the end of the 2024/2025 school year. This measure increases the attractiveness of these posts to NQTs, and supports primary schools to provide substitute cover.
• Encouraging retired teachers to provide substitute cover. A communications campaign ran in early 2023 resulting in an increase in the number of teaching days provided by retired teachers of 49%, an increase of over 17,000 days between the 2021/22 school year, and the 2022/23 school year. A new communications campaign has begun recently to encourage retired teachers to return to teaching.
• The 50 day pension abatement waiver, for retirees returning to work, has been extended for a further two years to the end of 2025.
• Restrictions on job-sharing teachers and those on a career break from working as substitutes have been reduced.
• Post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach.
• At primary level, I approved 610 additional places on initial teacher education programmes for this and the next academic year (2023/24 and 2024/25).
• The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.
The teacher allocation ratio in primary schools is now at the lowest ever seen at primary level. The average student-per-teacher ratio in primary schools reduced by 10% between 2017 and 2023.
Teaching remains an attractive career choice;
• CAO first preference choices for post-primary teaching increased in 2023 by 14%, in addition to a 9% increase in 2022.
• Starting pay for Primary teachers is over €41,000 and for post-primary teachers over €42,000 since October under the extension to Building Momentum. Further increases will arise under the new public sector pay agreement once it is ratified by union members.
• Over 3,700 newly qualified teachers have registered with the Teaching Council in 2023, with over 120,000 now on the Teaching Council register.
While schools in certain locations are experiencing challenges in both recruiting teachers and obtaining substitute teachers, the vast majority of sanctioned teacher positions are filled. The rate of resignation and retirement is very low by any standard and is consistent with previous years.
My Department continues to engage closely with education stakeholders to develop further, innovative measures to address teacher supply issues.
