Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 April 2019
110. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the lack of resources made available to second level schools that have teachers out on long-term sick leave; his plans to address the shortfall in substitute teachers for second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18174/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post primary to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects such as STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish and Home Economics.
In response to these difficulties, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established in March 2018.
The Steering Group is considering the issues that relate to teacher supply under four policy headings: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support; data/research requirements; policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply; and promotion of the teaching profession.
The Steering Group is overseeing the Action Plan for Teacher Supply, which I published in November 2018 with twenty-two actions in the four policy areas. It is supported in its work by the Teacher Supply Implementation Group and a number of working groups that are looking at specific policy areas.
A number of specific measures are being taken to increase the pool of available substitute teachers. These include:
- For the 2018/19 school year, the restrictions on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed were suspended.
- Retiring teachers were given information that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days, they must maintain registration with the Teaching Council.
- My Department is considering the removal of the restriction on job-sharing teachers undertaking substitute work.
- An online substitute teacher recruitment portal is being developed. It is intended that the portal will be in place for the next school year.
Other actions that have been progressed to address challenges in Teacher Supply include:
- My Department published Circular 0015/2019 with details of a new teacher sharing scheme for post-primary schools, commencing in the 2019/20 school year.
- Following engagement with the HEA, a number of HEIs will provide new post primary initial teacher education (ITE) undergraduate programmes in 2019 in priority subject areas, including mathematics, modern foreign languages and Irish. The HEIs also plan to commence more new undergraduate ITE programmes in 2020.
- The HEA is engaging with HEIs to explore the development of programmes to upskill existing teachers in targeted post primary subject areas and to examine the potential for flexible ITE programmes.
- The Teaching Council, at the request of my Department, is reviewing the implementation of school placement guidelines for student teachers, with a particular focus on school/HEI partnerships.
- The Teaching Council is developing more streamlined processes for the registration of teachers qualified in jurisdictions outside the State.
- In the current academic year, an additional €1m has been allocated to the Student Assistance Fund for Professional Master of Education (PME) students, increasing the overall fund to €10.1m.
- In December 2018 a national campaign for the promotion of the teaching profession was launched across a number of platforms, including radio and digital media. The campaign is supported by a new webpage providing information about teaching as a career (www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms).
In addition, following from the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education:
- An Irish-medium Masters in Education for primary and post-primary teachers, including principals, commenced in September 2018 in Mary Immaculate College.
- The number of places on the Irish medium post primary postgraduate ITE programme in NUIG (Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas, MGO) was increased from 2018/19.
The Steering Group and the various working groups reporting to it continue to meet on a regular basis and I hope to be in a position to announce further developments in this area over the coming months.
