Graduate teachers cannot find posts in Ireland

NEWLY-qualified teachers are applying for jobs in Britain, Dubai and New Zealand with up to half of this year’s graduates unable to find temporary or permanent posts, according teachers’ unions.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has described the situation as “very serious” while the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) struck a more positive note: believing graduates could expect more positions to come on stream due to the 400 extra high grade teachers seeking early retirement over the next year.

As part of government cutbacks announced last October, the Minister for Education announced cuts in overall teacher numbers as the child teacher ratio was set to rise. Student unions representatives at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick confirmed there was a sharp increase in graduates seeking to complete a Masters degree in Education due to these funding cuts.