ASTI warns of fallout from pay problems

The Association of Secondary Teachers has warned that college graduates will not be attracted to the profession unless pay and salary scales are improved.

ASTI president Catherine Fitzpatrick said teaching must be as financially rewarding as other comparable professions. She warned that the quality of Ireland’s education could suffer unless the current pay problems are addressed.

"There’s no doubt that, if left unchecked, teacher shortages will have a devastating impact on subject choice, quality of teaching and pupil performance," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

"We can’t be complacent about this. We must make sure that teaching remains an attractive profession for graduates coming out of college."