Plan needed to address teacher shortage crisis
Labour’s Educational Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD has condemned the government for its failure to address the chronic shortage of teachers in Ireland’s schools.
Deputy Ó Ríordáin said:
“Government’s failure to address the teacher shortage crisis is inexcusable. We need a proactive approach to addressing this crisis, and that includes providing teachers with the support they need to do their jobs effectively.
“A shocking new survey published today has revealed the dire state of Ireland’s teaching profession, with nearly 800 vacant teaching posts nationwide and projects an additional lack of 1,200 in the future. Schools are being forced to plug staffing gaps with special needs assistants and unqualified staff, and this is unacceptable and will have a knock on impact on our children’s education.
“Government has sat on its hands for far too long while this crisis has festered, and it’s time for them to take decisive action.
“One way to address the teacher shortage would be to introduce a ‘Dublin Allowance’ for teachers who live and work in the capital. This allowance would help to offset the high cost of living in Dublin and make it more affordable for teachers to live and work there. It is not a silver bullet, but it would certainly help.
“Labour has consistently called for the Government to take action to address the teacher shortage, but so far, it has fallen on deaf ears. It is time for the Minister for Education to wake up and realise that this crisis is not going away on its own. They need to take urgent action to address the root causes of the shortage, and they need to do it now.”