Unfilled teaching posts in almost half of second-level schools, survey finds

There are unfilled teaching vacancies in almost half of second-level schools, a new survey indicates.

The findings are based on a Red C online poll of more than 2,000 Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) members last month, including classroom teachers, principals and deputy principals.

Almost a fifth of schools were forced to remove a subject or subjects from the curriculum as a result.

The survey found that three quarters of school leaders reported that they received no applications for an advertised teaching post or posts in the current school year.

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In addition, 81 per cent of principals and deputies surveyed said they had employed at least one unqualified teacher this school year.

The survey results come in advance of teaching unions’ annual conferences next week where issues such as recruitment, retention and remuneration look set to dominate.

Other strategies used by schools to deal with teacher supply issues included delegating additional work to teachers in the school and reassigning special education teachers to mainstream classes.

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Recruitment problems were compounded by the non-availability of substitute teachers, the survey finds.

Since September 2022, almost nine in 10 schools have had situations where no substitute teachers were available to fill teacher absences due to sick leave and other short-term absences.

Teachers who participated in the survey identified a number of factors behind a shortage of teachers, including a sense that teaching was no longer viewed as an attractive profession; better remuneration in other careers; a legacy of unequal pay for teachers that was introduced in 2010; and the housing crisis, which is causing teachers to emigrate.

ASTI president Miriam Duggan said the union was “deeply concerned” about the impact of teacher shortages on students, their education and future lives.

“Today’s survey reveals that schools are being forced to use unqualified teachers, to divert resources away from students with special education needs and to drop subjects from the curriculum. This is shocking,” she said.

“Teachers’ workload is also adversely impacted by teacher shortages. Teachers are being asked to teach subjects they are not qualified to teach, to supervise additional classes and to change their rotas at short notice. This invariably causes extra work and stress.”

The survey also found job satisfaction level among teachers have dropped compared with previous years.

A total of 44 per cent of teachers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their job compared with 50 per cent in 2022 and 63 per cent in 2021.

More than three quarters said they have considered leaving the profession, with more than a quarter frequently considering doing so.

Teachers said they believe better pay, permanent posts for recent entrants and reduced workload are required in order to make teaching a more attractive career choice and help curb teacher shortages.

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Among school leaders, most principals and deputy principals said they are aware of local schools experiencing difficulties recruiting principals.

They cited heavy workload, impact on work-life balance and the complexity of the role as obstacles to recruitment.

Principals also described experiencing a high level of stress from being always on “contingency mode” due to vacant posts and the lack of substitute teachers.

Minister for Education Norma Foley, who is due to address next week’s teachers’ conferences, has said her department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers.

These measures include allowing second-level teachers to provide additional hours of substitute cover in the subject they are qualified to teach; greater flexibility to allow student teachers to provide more substitute cover; lifting financial penalties for retired teachers providing cover; and allowing job-sharing teachers to work in a substitute capacity during the period they are rostered off.

She said longer-term measures are also in place include an increase in the number of places on teacher upskilling programmes in priority subjects such as maths, Spanish and physics, while CAO first-preference choices for post-primary teaching have increased this year by 11 per cent.