Ahead of Budget 2025, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has called for targeted investment across all sectors to enhance the education service to students.
The union has drawn attention to the latest OECD indicators that issued this month, which show that of the countries for which figures are provided, none spend a lower proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) on education than Ireland’s.
TUI represents 20,500 members across second level, third level and in the further education and training sector.
‘Budget 2025 offers the Government an opportunity to commit to education after too many years of unacceptable neglect,’ said TUI President David Waters.
Teacher recruitment and retention – make teaching a viable career again
‘As a result of Government inaction, students in many schools all over the country continue to have less access to the full range of subjects which should be available to them.’
‘The Department’s reckless policy of ‘riding out’ the crisis until student numbers at second level fall is denying a generation of students the full educational experience that they’re entitled to.’
‘Teaching allocations to schools must be increased to allow more full-time, permanent jobs from initial appointment. A survey of teachers carried out by TUI earlier this year showed that of those recently appointed, on a third (35%) appointed received a full-time contract, and just over one in ten teachers (12%) were offered permanent positions. This culture of precarious work is driving both potential and serving teachers away from the profession.’
‘In addition, posts of responsibility must be restored to their pre-recession levels to boost career opportunities and staff retention and Irish teachers working in jurisdictions such as Australia and Dubai must be awarded full incremental credit for their service abroad if they are to choose to return home.’
Supporting students with SEN and tackling disadvantage; extension of free schoolbooks scheme
‘Schools should be fully resourced in every way to provide the education that students with special educational needs (SEN) deserve and the allowance formerly paid to SEN teachers must be restored.’
‘In the current climate, there are students from families experiencing severe financial hardships in most schools. In addition to extending DEIS provision across the country, schools must have access to additional, discrete funding to assist those students and families who require it to ensure a level playing field for all.’
‘The free schoolbooks scheme should be extended from beyond Junior Cycle to all of second level, and in doing so the Department must provide resourcing for the administrative duties involved in this area.’
Senior Cycle reform cannot be done ‘on a shoestring’
‘The recent publication of the OECDs’ annual Education At A Glance shows that at second-level, Ireland spends the lowest proportion of national wealth of the 34 countries for which figures are provided.’
‘This is extremely worrying in the context of Senior Cycle redevelopment.’
‘Appropriate and generous resourcing is essential for the redevelopment to be successful and it follows that adequate funding must be provided for all schools, big or small, rural or urban. Equality and equity must be paramount. There is too much at stake for this not to be done properly.’
‘The second level system must be properly resourced to ensure that Additional Assessment Components (AACs), which complement but are separate to the traditional written exam, can successfully assess forms of learning, competencies and skills other than those addressed in the terminal examination. For example, in the science subjects, it is critical that students would have access to laboratory or virtual laboratory facilities to demonstrate their applied knowledge rather than merely writing a report or completing a written project.’
‘Change of this magnitude cannot be achieved ‘on a shoestring’.’
Third level funding
‘At third level, Ireland’s spend (0.5% excluding R&D) is just half that of the OECD average. This is a shameful legacy of a refusal at political level to address the sector’s funding crisis in any meaningful way.’
‘At a time when there is unprecedented focus on the key role of education in our economic and social wellbeing, the long-standing failure to provide the necessary resources and staffing risks inflicting severe operational and reputational damage on our education system.’
FET – students must have access to modern facilities
‘Ireland’s further education and training sector has consistently proven itself in evolving to meet the needs of the economy and society, but significant additional funding is required to ensure that students have access to the modern facilities, updated equipment and appropriate digital infrastructure required to fully support today’s high-quality education and training opportunities.’