Nearly half of secondary schools cannot fill teaching roles, says union

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland survey also found that more than three-quarters of teachers were considering leaving the profession altogether. File picture

There are unfilled teaching positions in almost half of all secondary schools across the country, according to a new survey by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).

The research found that three-quarters of school leaders reported receiving no applications for vacant teaching posts in the current school year.

It also found that over 80% of principals and deputy principals had employed at least one unqualified teacher to meet the needs of students. There were also issues with a lack of substitute teachers available to cover absences due to sick leave.

ASTI President Miriam Duggan said: “We are deeply concerned about the impact of teacher shortages on our students; on their education and on their future lives.

“Teachers’ workload is also adversely impacted by teacher shortages. Teachers are being asked to teach subjects they are not qualified to teach, to supervise additional classes and to change their rotas at short notice."

Almost a fifth of schools were forced to remove subjects from the curriculum as a result of the shortage and some Special Education Needs teachers were being reassigned to mainstream classes.

School leaders were also forced to delegate additional work to teachers, something Ms Duggan said was causing “extra stress.” 

Of the 2,000 union members that responded to the survey, just 44% of teachers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their job, falling by 6% compared to 2022 and down from 63% in 2021.

Teachers identified pay and housing as two of the main drivers for the shortage, pointing to the legacy of unequal pay introduced in 2010 and the housing crisis which, they say, has pushed many teachers to emigrate.

The survey also found that more than three-quarters of teachers were considering leaving the profession altogether.