Over 1,000 teaching posts still unfilled as schools struggle with core subjects

More than 4,600 teachers are believed to be working abroad, according to the Teaching Council, which examined teacher working patterns using CSO data. File photo

Hundreds of schools are struggling to fill teaching posts in core subjects, as a departmental study finds more than 1,000 positions remain unfilled.

The Department of Education found 1,026 unfilled teaching positions across 600 post-primary schools in a survey assessing what it called "unmet demand". It comprised 330 vacant posts and a further 696 roles filled by a teacher unqualified to teach the subject.

Maths, Irish, and home economics had the most unfilled posts. Irish had the most “vacant posts” while maths had the most posts filled by so-called out-of-field teachers. Both are core subjects up to Leaving Certificate level.

Schools in Dublin and its commuter belt, as well as Cork, were found to be the worst areas affected. A spokesman for the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) said the vacancies statistics are "unsurprising".  

The figures are included in three reports recently published by the department examining teacher supply. The studies were conducted during the 2023/24 school year. Updated figures are expected to be released in early 2026.

More than 4,600 teachers are believed to be working abroad, according to the Teaching Council, which examined teacher working patterns using CSO data. While this represents about 4% of the overall teaching register, a similar number of teachers qualify each year.

The Teaching Council found this cohort, presumed to be living and working abroad, were most likely to be aged between 25 and 30 and to have more than five years’ work experience.

It found that 16,895 registered teachers in Ireland are employed outside of the department or Education and Training Boards (ETBs). These were most likely to be post-primary school teachers. A further 3,531 teachers were on career breaks.

The scale of this group is "likely also evidence of the drift by teachers from classrooms to other employments where they feel better valued", said the TUI spokesman. 

"Irish teachers are highly qualified and have transferable skills that can be used in a range of employments across the economy."

The union has consistently called for second-level teachers returning from positions outside the EU to receive incremental credit, he said. 

"The current system, where the overseas service of many post-primary teachers is not recognised in Ireland, acts as a deterrent to many who may otherwise return," said the spokesman. 

Proposed initiatives

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) general secretary Kieran Christie said: "Fundamental changes to entice teachers living abroad and those who have moved into different professions to return to teaching in Ireland must be introduced.

"Teaching needs to be a sustainable career choice. This is the only way to halt worsening teacher shortages. The enormous price being paid by the children and young people in our classrooms will leave a long and bitter legacy.”

The association called for pay scales to be shortened — allowing teachers to reach the top rate more quickly — and for the number of middle management posts in schools to be doubled. 

"The ASTI has called for more initiatives which ringfence affordable accommodation for key workers as one measure to help alleviate the teacher recruitment and retention crisis in Ireland," said Mr Christie.

"The training period for new teachers needs to be reduced from two years to one year and the exorbitant cost of undertaking this training must be tackled."