Education | Position to address teacher shortages at all primary and second level schools throughout the country

QUESTION

To ask 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-level schools throughout the country, with particular reference to the need for locums; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Ensuring 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 reflects this Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in the education system through various measures:

• Introduction of a professional master’s of education incentive      scheme for newly qualified teachers graduating in 2024. Eligible teachers      can receive an incentive payment of up to €2,000, to be paid in 2025.
• Expansion of upskilling programs, free to teachers, aimed at      increasing the number of qualified teachers in high-demand subjects and      reducing out-of-field teaching. New programs in Irish, French, politics      & society, and computer science will complement existing programs in      maths, physics, and Spanish. Trinity College Dublin will deliver a new      Irish upskilling program for post-primary teachers starting in late 2024,      available at no cost to eligible teachers. 
• Provision of an additional 1,000 posts of responsibility in the      school system for the 2024/25 school year, recognising the vital role of      school leaders in enhancing educational outcomes by fostering a positive      school environment and empowering educators and learners within their      communities.

In addition to these recently introduced measures, as Minister I have developed further initiatives to address teacher supply challenges, including:

• Approving 610 additional places on initial teacher education      programs for primary level over the academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25.

• For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2023/24 school year, 590 substitute teacher supply posts have been 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 will from 14 November 2023 be able to 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.
• Ensuring flexibility in initial teacher education programs to allow      student teachers to support schools, with over 2,700 registered under      Route 5 with the Teaching Council in 2023, providing valuable substitute      teaching support. Currently there are 3,600 registered under Route 5, the      highest number ever.
• Encouraging retired teachers to provide substitute cover, resulting      in a significant increase of 49% in teaching days provided between the      2021/22 and 2022/23 school years. A new communications campaign began      earlier 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.
• Reduction of restrictions on job-sharing teachers and those on      career breaks from working as substitutes.
• Post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of      substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach. This      scheme provides post-primary schools with an alternative means of sourcing      appropriately qualified substitute teaching cover to support teaching and      learning in schools.
• 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

The measures in the primary sector have contributed to the lowest-ever teacher allocation ratio in primary schools, with a 10% reduction in the average student-per-teacher ratio 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.  CAO preferences      for primary teaching showed increases at the closing date in February 2024      with overall mentions up 10% and first preferences increasing by 2% from      2023.
• In 2024, there were 4,271 first preference applications for      undergraduate teaching programmes, showing a trend largely consistent with      recent years. Analysis of CAO applications spanning from 2017 to 2024      indicates a sustained and robust demand for undergraduate teaching programmes.      On average, 6% of first preference applications during the period from      2017 to 2024 were for either primary or post-primary teaching programmes.      Specifically, the percentage of first preference applications for      undergraduate primary teaching programmes ranged between 2.9% and 3.8%,      while those for post-primary undergraduate programmes ranged between 2.4%      and 2.9%. 
• The ratio of first preference applications through the CAO for      level 8 courses in 2022 shows that there were 1.5 applicants per place for      education, with a higher demand for primary courses (2) than for      post-primary places (1.5). The demand for primary ITE is higher than for      all fields except for medicine (3.5) and veterinary medicine (5.2) 
• The new pay deal, with all three teacher unions having 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. Starting pay of €46,000 will be almost €20,000 higher      than the 2011 rates.
• Over 3,700 newly qualified teachers have registered with the      Teaching Council in 2023, with over 122,000 now on the Teaching Council      register.

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.

Ireland’s education system is performing strongly, something that is supported by recent international testing.  That is a tribute to the professionalism and dedication of our teachers.  We need to continue to support our schools and maintain the high standards that have helped get us to where we are.

My Department continues to engage closely with education stakeholders to develop further, innovative measures to address teacher supply issues.