Just 12% of current teacher job posts are permanent amid recruitment crisis

The majority of the more than 1,100 unfilled posts advertised on Education Posts are fixed-term positions, usually lasting just one school year. Picture: Larry Cummins

Just over 12% of the more than 1,100 job posts for teachers which remain unfilled two weeks out from schools returning are permanent positions.

As of Tuesday afternoon, just 16 out of 481 available roles in secondary schools are labelled as permanent, while there are 121 permanent positions out of 629 unfilled posts available in primary schools.

The majority of the more than 1,100 unfilled posts advertised on Education Posts are fixed-term positions, usually lasting just one school year.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said on Tuesday that second-level teachers must be provided with full-time, permanent jobs when they commence employment to tackle the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

The union said measures so far introduced by the Department of Education will do little to tackle the current problems.

TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said the Department of Education must implement “real and effective” measures if it is serious about tackling the crisis.

A survey of over 1,300 of our members carried out earlier this year found that of those appointed in recent years, only 31% received a full-time job upon initial appointment. 

"Just 13% were offered a permanent position upon initial appointment, while it took a third of respondents more than three years to secure a contract of full hours receiving full pay,” he said.

Mr Gillespie said it was “unsustainable” if we are to keep teachers in front of classrooms, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis.

He said teachers cannot exist “on fractions of a job,” adding it was not surprising so many highly qualified graduates were migrating to other employments or to take up teaching posts in jurisdictions “where they feel properly valued”.

“In addition, posts of responsibility must be restored to pre-cutback levels. These middle-management positions ensure the smooth running of schools while providing promotional opportunities for teachers which would greatly help boost retention.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

“Unilaterally cut by Government in 2009, they have never been fully restored. In our survey of members last year, only 18% disagreed with a statement that they would be more likely to remain in the profession if more assistant principal posts became available in their schools,” he said.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) warned on Monday that schools are under enormous strain due to the current teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

It said schools were being forced to drop subjects while resorting to re-assigning Special Education Needs (SEN) teachers to mainstream classes.