Retaining teachers as big a challenge as recruitment – TUI

Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) president Anthony Quinn speaks. Picture: Tommy Clancy

Retaining teachers is now as big a challenge as recruitment, a teachers' union has warned as it calls for measures to keep teachers in the system. 

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) urged the Department of Education to do more to make the teaching profession attractive. 

The union also warned that "excessive paperwork" is having a negative effect on teacher retention and called for key allowances to be restored. 

Ahead of the new school year, the union also called for the teaching service of those returning from abroad to be fully recognised. 

Just 35% of recent entrants to second-level teaching said they received a contract of full hours when starting their career, according to a recent survey by the TUI. 

Earlier this year, the union found one in five schools were forced to drop a subject due to recruitment and retention issues, with Irish, maths, and French among the subjects most impacted. 

"At a time when schools are struggling to retain teaching staff, it is absolutely unacceptable that just 35% of recent entrants to second-level teaching said that they received a contract of full hours when starting their teaching career," said TUI president Anthony Quinn. 

He said the union has heard anecdotally that many teachers are switching to employments or jurisdictions where they feel better valued.  

"When schools struggle to retain teachers, students suffer with less access to the full breadth of subjects," Mr Quinn said. 

The TUI called for teachers returning from overseas to have their service recognised. Second-level teachers returning to Ireland from positions in private schools outside the EU are placed on the first point of the teachers’ salary scale, Mr Quinn said. 

"Given the nature of many international education systems, this affects the overwhelming majority of those who may wish to return to Ireland from countries such as Dubai." 

He added: "In many cases, they will simply choose to continue to teach outside Ireland or, if they do return, work in other employments where their transferrable skills are better appreciated. Ultimately, it is students who will lose out." 

Teachers are being distracted from teaching and learning by increasing administrative workload, Mr Quinn added.

"This culture of excessive paperwork has an obvious negative effect on teacher retention and must be urgently addressed," he said. 

"This culture of excessive paperwork has an obvious negative effect on teacher retention and must be urgently addressed."

• Jess Casey, Education Correspondent