Students are set to miss out on learning opportunities this coming September due to a lack of qualified teachers, according to the Teachers’ Union of Ireland [TUI].
With back-to-school time fast approaching, the TUI believes that students will miss out on subject options this year because of an ongoing recruitment and retention crisis.
Anthony Quinn, TUI President, joined Ciara Kelly on Newstalk Breakfast.
“We have been putting forward very meaningful and substantive things that the Department of Education can do.
“Fundamentally, a huge amount of students won't have the qualified teachers for some subjects this year.”
Mr. Quinn says that subjects such as Maths, Irish and Home Economics will likely bear the brunt of a lack of qualified or retained teachers
“We’re basing [our approach] off figures from the Department’s old research from 2023-2024, which identified 930 unmet demands across teaching subjects.
"You’re talking about shortfalls of about 190 teachers for Maths, 130 teachers for Irish and 92 teachers for home economics."
Children using iPads in classroom with teacher. Image: Michael Folmer / Alamy Stock PhotoCertain parts of the country are due to see particularly acute shortages.
“Some of the highest shortfalls are in Cavan, Meath, Roscommon and Donegal.
“There are shortages right across the country now, not just in urban areas.
“Cavan is one of the highest, along with Meath and also Roscommon.”
Teacher shortages
Mr. Quinn pointed towards the Professional Master of Education (PME) course as he believes the length of time it takes to complete it is unjustifiable.
“I did a one-year teaching education programme; the former Minister for Education Norma Foley did a one-year programme, and then it was suddenly arbitrarily extended to two years.
“If it was reduced back to a one-year programme, that would release 3,500 teachers back into the system.”
Cost also plays a part in the uptake of the PME.
“Most of the colleges cost between €12,000 and €16,000. It excludes a lot of people from doing it.
“A huge amount of people in their mid-30s would have identified teaching as something that they might like to gravitate towards, but they cannot afford to take a two-year sabbatical to earn no wages while they undertake a teaching programme."
Written by Cara McHugh
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