Schools ‘should hire jobless teachers for substitution cover’

SCHOOLS have been asked by the Department of Education to hire unemployed teachers instead of retirees for substitution cover because of the huge number of graduates seeking work.

Almost 2,000 teachers have qualified from training courses as primary teachers this year, but education cutbacks have meant that most permanent jobs this autumn were taken up by teachers whose positions were lost at schools affected by increased pupil-teacher ratios.

However, concern has been expressed by some newly qualified teachers that schools are overlooking them in favour of retired teachers for substitution work which they need to gain classroom experience for future work.

In a letter to all 4,000 primary and second level schools, the Department of Education has encouraged them to give priority to qualified teachers, particularly to newly or recently qualified teachers.

“The minister believes it is essential that every opportunity is given for teachers who are not in work to teach and is requesting school authorities to bear this in mind throughout the current school year and wherever possible to give those teachers priority over those who have retired,” it said.

Part of the concern among teachers is that they need to build up experience through subbing or fixed-term contracts to allow them to be probated by department inspectors.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) assistant general secretary Tom O’Sullivan said schools were glad to have retired teachers to fill short-term vacancies during the past decade when there was a severe teacher shortage, but that the situation has changed almost overnight.

“Government cutbacks have turned a teacher shortage into a teacher surplus, with hundreds of recently qualified teachers unable to find work, and all schools should give priority to teachers without work when making appointments for periods of substitution cover,” said Mr O’Sullivan.