Fifty unqualified maths teachers in survey

ALMOST 50 maths teachers have either no third-level qualifications or have not studied maths, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has revealed.

Almost 600 others were not fully qualified to teach the subject, he said in the Dáil. The revelations follow a survey issued to all second-level schools in September about the qualifications of maths teachers following controversy over low student results.

The survey reveals that of 2,045 maths teachers in 258 schools, 49 have no third-level qualification or have done no studies in maths, 596 have undergone “some studies” in maths and 1,400 teachers are fully qualified to teach the subject.

The Taoiseach said the employers, “in this case the boards of management and principal teachers, would not have queried the actual qualifications for teaching maths in the first place”.

Mr Kenny revealed the figures when asked questions on education by Independent Dublin North Central TD Finian McGrath.

As parents, teachers and special needs assistants protested outside the Dáil, Mr McGrath asked whether it was “acceptable for children with a disability to be locked out of school on their first day back because there are no places, resource teachers or SNAs”.