asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to grant recognition for salary purposes in respect of suitable teaching service in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and abroad to Irish graduate secondary teachers returning to this country to take up employment; and if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recognition of Teachers' Overseas Service.
26.
A scheme of credit for the purpose of placing on the incremental salary scales for secondary school teachers in respect of certain service in underdeveloped countries on the continent of Africa was communicated to the secondary schools in January last.
Similarly, it is my intention to issue shortly a scheme of credit for placing on the salary scales in respect of certain teaching service in countries on the continent of Europe in relation to the teaching of continental languages. The primary purpose of these schemes is, respectively, to assist underdeveloped countries and to improve the teaching of continental languages in this country.
The Deputy's question raises the issue of the extension of such schemes to cover teaching service generally in Great Britain and the Six Counties. In countries where credit is given for teaching service outside those countries, the reason for so doing is the great shortage of qualified teachers there. I might say that even in those countries the granting of such credit does not appear to be based on any overall educational principles, but varies from local authority to local authority in accordance with the degree of intensity of the problem locally.
Since by and large there is no serious shortage of qualified teachers, save of teachers of science, in this country, a general granting of credit for overseas service would not be warranted here. In fact, it would not add significantly to, the strength of qualified personnel here, as in effect it would merely mean the taking up of a post by a returned graduate as against the post being filled by a young graduate coming out of the university.
In the case of science, there is in all countries a very acute shortage of qualified teachers, because of the attractions of industry from the point of view of the emoluments it can offer and the facilities it can provide. For this season the problem of attracting science graduates into the teaching profession has not yet been solved anywhere. Accordingly, it may be taken that the granting of incremental credit to qualified teachers of science for service overseas would have no worthwhile effect on the position here. In addition, unlike the case of Continental languages, in relation to which the benefit of a period of teaching in the appropriate country is evident, it would be invidious to select science teachers for special treatment in this regard.
My Department, however, is at present giving active consideration to methods of solving the problem of attracting qualified science teachers into our schools.