Responding to some of the additional education measures announced today as part of Budget 2024, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said it would be seeking a number of clarifications on the provision of additional posts of responsibility to schools. Further information required includes the exact breakdown of posts in sectors and in schools. Information on the category of posts is also required. The union has consistently identified the restoration of these posts as a key measure to tackle teacher recruitment and retention problems.
The union said that while a move to reduce the cost of the Professional Master of Education (PME) for students in the future is welcome, it will do absolutely nothing to tackle the current teacher supply problems in schools.
Meanwhile, the expansion of upskilling courses for teachers is a mere sticking plaster measure in the middle of an unprecedented teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
The union once again described the failure to increase teaching allocations to second-level schools as extremely shortsighted and deeply disappointing. Such a progressive move would have made it more possible for schools to offer contracts of full hours upon initial employment while ensuring that students have full access to a wide breadth of subjects.
A survey of teachers carried out by TUI earlier this year showed that of those recently appointed, less than a third of teachers (31%) appointed received a full-time contract, and just over one in ten teachers (13%) were offered permanent positions. This culture of precarious work is driving both potential and serving teachers away from the profession.