'Why would teachers stay in Ireland to endure poverty and disrespect?'

Michael Gillespie, TUI general secretary, addresses members at the TUI Congress in Killarney. Picture: Tommy Clancy

Teachers are escaping “poverty and disrespect” for other countries with better conditions and nicer weather, the Teachers' Union of Ireland’s annual conference has heard.

A new amalgamated teachers’ union is being considered to create a bigger and more powerful body to grapple with such ongoing problems, TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie told this year’s event in Killarney.

Research from the TUI shows that just 35% of survey respondents who entered the profession in recent years received full-time contracts when first employed.

Mr Gillespie described this as a "scandalous statistic in the teeth of a recruitment crisis".

The TUI is calling for full-time jobs upon initial appointment, a reinstatement of allowances formerly paid to teachers, more career opportunities, and full recognition of overseas teaching service for those wishing to return to the Irish education system.

“Why would they [teachers] stay to endure both poverty and disrespect?” Mr Gillespie asked.

They are not abandoning Ireland. Ireland — more specifically the Department of Education and DPER — has abandoned them.

“We need to give these graduates full-time jobs — now, from day one — to have any hope of keeping them as teachers.” 

He said other jurisdictions were recruiting Irish-trained teachers aggressively and offering full-time jobs ahead of effective commencement dates.

“Our children suffer because of the failure of the relevant departments to engage with reality. They do not have subject teachers — sometimes any teacher — in front of them, subjects are lost, life opportunities dwindle,” Mr Gillespie said.

“The serving teacher is required to take up the slack which makes the job too damn hard. So, we retire early or leave the profession.” 

He said the TUI survey showed that of post-2011 teachers who entered the profession only 12% were offered a permanent position; 88% were not.

Some 20% took three years to get a contract on full hours and 34% took longer.

“What is expected? That these teachers will wait around at management’s beck and call to make up time as substitutes?

“These teachers are forced to get additional part-time jobs, work summer jobs, and moonlight, just to make ends meet. These are rational young men and women who will make rational choices and leave. Where they go, the pay and other conditions are better — even the weather is better.” 

The lack of substitute teachers in schools is also “a chronic problem,” he said.

Mr Gillespie told the conference that the amalgamation of the TUI and the Association of Secondary Teachers’ of Ireland (ASTI) unions has been a longstanding TUI policy.

Discussions about an amalgamation have been taking place since May 2022 when TUI offered ASTI some of its sectoral funding to restore some money lost by that union due to industrial action in 2016, Mr Gillespie said.

“Amalgamating the TUI and ASTI is the right thing to do. It is worth the generosity; it is worth the effort for the prize of a bigger, stronger union with a bigger voice that will have more power and say. We will work hard to achieve this long-held TUI ambition,” he said.