Why is there a shortage of teachers?

In this episode we go inside our schools and examine the crisis of teacher retention and supply in Ireland. Recently COVID has brought the shortage of teachers to the forefront, making headlines, as a lack of available cover wreaks havoc in schools. We have examples of schools not being able to cover absent teachers and classes being sent home as a result.

We have principals of schools taking to social media, believe it or not, to find teachers willing or able to substitute and shockingly special education teachers being removed from the very students who need them the most in order to keep everything afloat.

But of course, this is not a surprise, as teachers and especially those involved in the trade unions will know, this has been coming for a long time and they'd been warning about this for years.

Enough has been highlighted recently in the media and social media about this shortage, so in this episode we focus on the real reasons for the shortage of teachers in Ireland at the moment.

in this episode I am joined by:

Noelle Moran, a secondary school teacher of Gaeilge and Accounting. Noelle was a member of the ASTI standing committee for many years. And I personally witnessed some of her very, very valuable contributions in standing up for teachers. And Noelle is also a teacher representative on the Teaching Council.

I'm also joined by:

Seamus O'Connor, a primary school teacher, and principal. Seamus is a member of the INTO a member of the National Principal's Forum. And he was one of the founding members and activists of the Voice for Teachers Facebook page. And he, he too has also been a teacher representative on the teaching council.

Just a reminder once again that all our contributors are speaking in a personal capacity.