A third of teachers considering going abroad for better opportunities

TUI said cuts made in 2009 were never fully restored and have contributed to an increased workload, teacher burnout, and reduced promotional opportunities within schools.

More than a third of teachers would consider leaving Ireland to teach abroad, a survey has found.

The survey from the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) highlighted the serious concerns its members had about the profession's attractiveness and about posts of responsibility in schools.

The survey was carried out earlier in March and saw responses from 1,021 TUI members.

In 2009, cuts were made to the number of posts of responsibility, which refers to principals, deputies, and assistants in a school's management structure.

The union said these were never fully restored and have contributed to an increased workload, teacher burnout, and reduced promotional opportunities within schools.

Some 63% believed there were not enough assistant principal roles in their schools to match both educational and pastoral needs. Some 43% agreed that if there were more assistant principal roles available in their schools, they would “more likely" remain in the profession because of the potential for further career progression.

TUI said it is calling for posts of responsibility to be restored to pre-recession levels.

Additionally, 36% agreed they would leave Ireland to teach in another country for some time, while 77% agreed that teacher recruitment and retention difficulties in their schools have a “negative effect on the service to students".

The findings also found 65% agreeing that the career average pension scheme, introduced in 2013, is a “deterrent to keeping teachers in the system.” 

TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said the loss of enough posts of responsibility “has been keenly felt in school communities, increasing the workload of principals and deputy principals and reducing supports for students while eliminating promotional opportunities for teachers.".

‘Separately, it is of great concern that over a third of recent entrants to the profession would consider teaching in another country.

“We need to make the profession more attractive to ensure that teachers are retained and do not move to other jurisdictions or employments where they feel better valued.

“Key to this is ensuring that new entrants receive a contract of full hours when they commence employment and that workload is sustainable and not excessive,” Mr Gillespie said.

He also stated that the pension entitlement for newer entrants to the profession needs to be enhanced.

“It is extremely worrying that a majority believe that the career average pension scheme – introduced in 2013 – is a deterrent to keeping teachers in the system,” Mr Gillespie said.

“It is also unsurprising that 77% believe that teacher recruitment and retention difficulties have had a negative effect on the service to students,” he added.

The TUI Annual Congress in Kilkenny concluded on Thursday, following a three-day session which heard about artificial intelligence, pay matters, burnout, and teacher retention issues.