Department to meet schools after teacher-sharing scheme results in just one full-time post

The scheme aims to give teachers of high-demand subjects such as Irish, maths, sciences, and modern languages, a full-time contract split between schools. Stock picture: Steve Stone

The Department of Education says it will meet with school bodies with a view to improving participation in a teacher-sharing programme which resulted in just one full-time post.

A teacher-sharing scheme pilot launched in June 2023 facilitates two schools collaborating to provide high-priority subjects and to enhance teaching hours for teachers in employment on fewer than full hours. 

The scheme is designed to give teachers of high-demand subjects such as Irish, maths, sciences, and modern languages a full-time teaching contract, but this would be split between more than one school.

The department said that the scheme "intends to understand the issues and challenges that the sharing of a post-primary teacher between two schools would present, and determine what further supports would be needed to expand the concept to other schools".

However, following engagement with the representatives of post-primary school management bodies, two of the schools told the department that they had satisfied their recruitment needs and their interest in the scheme ceased.

Two schools remain in the pilot scheme, with a teacher on less than full-time hours receiving a full-time (22 hours per week) contract.

Up until the launch of the pilot, post-primary schools had not engaged in the teacher-sharing scheme, the department said.

National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals director Paul Crone. Picture: Linkedin

"In addition to the teacher-sharing scheme pilot, a school co-operation scheme exists. 24 schools currently operate this scheme, which sees pupils travel between schools to avail of subjects not available in their own school, ie Chemistry, Physics, Home Economics, Art, Agricultural Science, Economics, Music.

"The department has meetings arranged later this month with school management bodies to discuss teacher supply including improving participation in the teacher sharing scheme pilot."

Paul Crone, Director of the National Association for Principals and Deputy Principals told RTÉ Radio's News at One that there "continue to be pinch areas" in recruitment" and that the scheme "hasn’t had the uptake that we expected".

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Mr Crone said that the plan was "one initiative in a suite" aimed at easing the crisis in recruitment along with a "de facto overtime scheme". He said that one issue is schools making timetables more amenable.

"The issues are around scheduling — two schools operating schedules and allowing for travel time between the schools. 

"That co-scheduling causes problems for some schools."

He said that this arrangement tends to suit education and training boards as they are the employer in both facilities.