Government must act on unqualified teachers crisis
- Over 13,500 unqualified teachers hired
Labour’s Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has slammed the government following revelations that 13,540 unqualified teachers were hired in 2024 due to staff shortages. Deputy Kenny said this deeply worrying statistic highlights the extreme pressure school management faces in filling vacancies and securing substitute teachers.
Deputy Kenny said:
“This is a shocking indictment of Government’s failure to train, recruit, and retain teachers. Schools should never be forced to rely on unqualified teachers to deliver our children’s education. Yet, due to chronic shortages, thousands of teachers without the necessary qualifications have been standing in classrooms this year.
“This situation is unfair on students and undermines the quality of education. At post-primary level, the situation is even more serious. Unqualified teachers are stepping into subject-specific roles, meaning students may not be receiving proper instruction in key areas such as maths, science, or languages. This has serious implications for exam results, career prospects, and Ireland’s future workforce.
“This is just another stark example of how this government has failed to train and retain teachers. Our teachers deserve better pay, improved working conditions, and opportunities to upskill. Instead, they are leaving in droves because they cannot afford to live in Ireland. Lack of affordable housing, skyrocketing childcare costs, and overstretched healthcare services are pushing teachers abroad, while schools here struggle to find staff.
“We need to value our teachers. If we don’t act now, this crisis will only deepen. The Minister for Education must urgently investigate these figures and set out a real plan to ensure schools have fully qualified teachers in every classroom. That means tackling the core issues—pay, working conditions, and career progression—to ensure we keep talented educators in Ireland.”