A TEACHER at a Limerick secondary school is warning that the teacher recruitment crisis, which has grown over the past few years, will be its worst ever this coming September when schools return.
Eric Nelligan, Aontú party education spokesperson and assistant principal in St Munchin’s College in Limerick, called for the fast-tracking of the registration of teachers coming from abroad.
”For the past few years across Irish school, principals are reporting the difficulties they’ve encountered while struggling to find a substitute teacher for cover,” Mr Nelligan told the Limerick Post.
“Secondary school representatives have said they are experiencing challenges trying to find qualified teachers in key subjects. The situation is especially critical in urban areas, commuter towns, and in Gaelcholaiste.
“Up until now, the teacher shortages mainly affected substitute teachers. Principals are admitting now that it is foreseen that full time teaching positions will go unfilled,” he added.
According to Mr Nelligan, those that suffer from the lack of teachers are likely to be the most vulnerable children in our schools.
”If schools are unable to fill their full allocation of teachers, they will be forced to prioritise mainstream classroom teaching positions. While this is not right, parents won’t accept children being sent home due to lack of teachers. We will see teachers of special education moved into classrooms and children with needs not getting the necessary specialised help,” he suggested.
“A quick look at social media will see multiple examples of principals panicking as their SEN (Special Education Needs) departments are being gutted of teachers.
“One example given was from a principal that had an allocation of 8.5 teachers last year but right now only 1.5 of those teaching posts are full. The seven other teachers moved back to mainstream teaching.
“A second example is from a principal that advertised for three full time positions in May. Six applications were received. By the date of the interview all six applicants had jobs elsewhere. She is now advertising for the third time.
“We need to fast track the registration of teachers coming from abroad, make redeployment easier, cut the PME (Professional Master of Education) from two years to one, and speed up and reform the vetting for SNAs.”
