Schools employ 171 retired staff in six weeks

More than 170 retired teachers and up to 928 unqualified people have been given teaching work by schools in the first six weeks of term.

While thousands of recently qualified teachers struggle to find work, 140 retired teachers were hired for substitute work in primary schools and at least 31 covered absences in second-level schools.

They were among more than 4,300 substitutes paid by the Department of Education from the end of August to last Monday in the primary sector, and almost 1,000 second-level substitutes from Sept 4 to Oct 1.