Government urged to make teaching more attractive

The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) is urging the Department of Education to take steps to make teaching more attractive and retain teachers within the system. Union president Anthony Quinn highlighted that teachers are being overwhelmed by administrative duties, which distract them from their core responsibilities. A recent survey revealed that 92% of members believe the bureaucratic workload has increased since they started their careers, and 92% also agreed that initiative overload is causing burnout among teachers and principals.

Quinn emphasized that teachers are spending too much time on non-teaching tasks due to constant new programs, policies, and administrative demands, leading to a negative impact on teacher retention. Additionally, Quinn raised concerns about reduced pension provision and called for the reinstatement of certain allowances that were abolished in 2012, making recruitment and retention in specific schools more challenging.

Some schools have even decided not to run specific subjects due to a shortage of teachers. TUI General Secretary Michael Gillespie noted that it is difficult to determine the exact number of unfilled positions, particularly in secondary schools, as many schools are in the second round of recruitment. Gillespie pointed out that some subjects are harder to fill than others, and there has been an increase in teachers teaching subjects outside their direct qualifications, known as 'out of field' teachers.