Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
431. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education what steps her Department is taking to address the teacher shortage at a school (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14050/24]
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.
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.
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. The contract for the Irish upskilling programme has been signed recently and the programme is expected to start later this year.
• 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:
• Post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach.
• 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 under Route 5 with the Teaching Council and provided valuable support to schools as substitute teachers. In February this year there were 3,500 registered under Route 5 on the Teaching Council register.
• 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 begun in January this year 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.
• The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession encouraging 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.
Teaching remains an attractive career choice;
• CAO first preference choices for post-primary teaching increased last year by 14%, in addition to a 9% increase in 2022.
• Currently starting pay for post-primary teachers is over €42,000. The new pay deal, with all three teacher unions having recently voted in favour of, will mean that teachers’ starting salary will increase to €46,000 rising to a maximum of €85,000 per year which compares well internationally
• Over 3,700 newly qualified teachers have registered with the Teaching Council in 2023, with over 122,000 now on the Teaching Council register.
My Department continues to engage closely with education stakeholders to develop further, innovative measures to address teacher supply issues.
