Minister’s sticking plaster response to teacher shortage misunderstands the scale of the crisis
Minister’s sticking plaster response to teacher shortage misunderstands the scale of the crisis - The Labour Party
Labour Party Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called out the Education Minister’s latest PR effort.
Deputy Kenny said that addressing permanency within teaching contracts misunderstands the full depth of issues at play in school communities nationwide.
Speaking ahead of the teacher union conferences this week, Deputy Kenny said teachers and school management are at their wits end trying to fill vacancies right throughout the country.
Deputy Kenny said:
“To me the Minister is exploring avenues but they are simply part time solutions to very much a long term, systemic issue. High cost of living, lack of housing, affordable children and healthcare are part of the many reasons why we simply cannot retain teachers in Ireland.
“A huge part of the issue also includes the role of the teacher in a modern classroom now. Teachers themselves have become therapists, counsellors and the ones children turn to in often very severe circumstances. The opportunity to upskill to deal with scenarios like this are just not there. The workload is far too much.
“As I attend the first teaching conference today, I genuinely understand the concerns that will be raised through motions from those on the ground in our classrooms. We need to see an incremental change for teachers moving from abroad, we need to attract them.
“The new found workload needs to be matched with the correct pay and conditions.
“If you take a first time teacher in Dublin, on the basic wage of a primary or post primary teacher in their first year, they are going to find it extremely difficult to make ends meet. Indeed, analysis by the Irish Independent today shows that single people working in the teaching profession are utterly locked out of purchasing a home in Ireland. That is simply not good enough and the Minister must recognise that.
“The profession of teaching, while so important, is not attracting the numbers of people we need to give every child the best start in life. We need to see radical, meaningful action taken by government to train and retain more teachers.”