Secondary school principals forced to drop subjects in face of teacher shortages

Many secondary schools say they have been forced to drop or limit access to key subjects due to staff shortages.

A survey of school principals and deputies across more than 100 second-level schools indicates that maths is the most difficult subject to find qualified teachers for, followed by woodwork/construction studies, Irish, biology, home economics and chemistry.

The survey was carried out by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland’s (TUI) principals and deputy principals’ association in 104 second-level schools during September and October.

It found the housing crisis and career progression options are exacerbating teacher shortages and called for immediate measures to ensure schools can continue to put teachers in front of classes and that students have access to the full breadth of subjects.

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Among its findings were that:

• 89 per cent of schools have experienced teacher recruitment difficulties in the previous six months
• 64 per cent of school leaders say they currently have unfilled vacancies due to recruitment and retention difficulties
• 77 per cent of schools have advertised positions in the previous six months for which no teacher applied
• 45 per cent of schools have been forced to restrict or limit access to subjects, while 18 per cent say they have had to drop a subject

Adrian Power, principal of Bridgetown College in Wexford and president of the TUI’s principals and deputy principals’ association, said dropping a subject was a measure of last resort for schools.

“Thankfully, my own school is fully-staffed, but some have had to take the drastic decision of reducing options for students. It’s the last thing a principal wants to do,” he said.

“A student-driven curriculum will deliver the best results, but if a teacher doesn’t materialise, it can be untenable to keep a subject going. It’s upsetting, because you want to do the best for students.”

The most acute shortages, he said, were in the greater Dublin area, where accommodation and cost-of-living issues are making it increasingly unaffordable. Schools in the rest of the country have also experienced difficulties hiring teachers for key positions, while the supply of substitutes to provide cover was a problem everywhere.

Minister for Education Norma Foley has acknowledged that “schools in certain locations are experiencing challenges in both recruiting teachers and obtaining substitute teachers,” but she emphasised that the vast majority of sanctioned teacher positions are filled.

She said Budget 2024 contains a range of measures to address teacher supply issues, such as financial incentives for newly qualified teachers graduating next year and the restoration of middle-management posts in schools. The supply of teaching graduates has also increased by about 20 per cent since 2018.

However, TUI president David Waters said key indicators in the survey – such as the proportion of schools with vacant posts – have worsened since last year.

“Schools are displaying remarkable innovation in dealing with these challenges, but there is simply no more flexibility left to give,” he said.

At the very least, he said, new entrants to the profession must have a job of full hours and access to the career progression options that existed before the last recession, while posts responsibility should be restored to pre-cutback levels.

Top-ten subjects which principals say it is most difficult to find qualified teachers:

1. Maths

2. Construction Studies/Woodwork

3. Irish

4. Biology

5. Home Economics

6. Chemistry

7. Business

8. Engineering/Metalwork

9. French

10. Agricultural Science

– Source: TUI survey