There has been a call by teacher unions for increased salaries to be given to Irish teachers who return from overseas positions, mainly from Dubai and Australia. This is to address what they describe as a crisis in both hiring and retaining educators. A debate on this will be part of the agenda of the teachers’ unions’ yearly meetings that kick off this week, with discussions on dealing with staff deficits expected to take centre stage.
Currently, secondary school teachers coming back from non-EU international private education posts are put at the lowest pay grade in Ireland regardless of their international experience. This situation, as unions point out, discourages the majority of those thinking of returning from countries, including the United Arab Emirates.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) will be meeting in Killarney soon, where they will bring forward the proposition of incremental credit to incentivise these teachers to come back home. Michael Gillespie, the TUI’s General Secretary, stated that it was incomprehensible that this issue was not being addressed swiftly, especially during such a recruitment and retention crisis.
He underlined the need for experienced teachers and the wealth of international knowledge they bring. Mr Gillespie added that it was crucial to dismantle the impediments stopping these individuals from coming back to contribute their skills to the Irish education system.
Simultaneously, ahead of the teacher unions’ meetings, the Education Minister, Norma Foley, announced the much-anticipated allocation of nearly €80 million to aid digital learning and minor construction efforts in schools. This includes a €50 million ICT grant set to be disseminated to all primary and secondary education establishments soon and an additional €29 million in minor works funding to be distributed to primary and special schools. This fund will ensure schools have the resources to integrate digital technologies into their curriculum and for small-scale enhancements of school facilities.
The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, gathering in Wexford from Tuesday, will debate a motion to include teaching experience from recognised abroad second-level schools in the calculation of incremental credit. The assembly will also consider reducing the two-year postgraduate master’s in education (PME), which replaced the old one-year “Hdip” qualification, to a single year to aid in alleviating teacher shortages.
Members pinpoint the qualification’s lengthy duration and cost, often exceeding €15,000, as deterrents for many potential educators. Concurrently, at the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) convention in Derry, commencing on Monday, discussions will be held concerning strategies to improve teacher recruitment and maintainance.
One proposition suggests mandating the union’s executive to negotiate an allowance with the department to cover steeper living costs in urban areas, akin to the London weighting allowance. Advocates believe this could provide some relief from the excessive accommodation costs in cities. However, this viewpoint is not shared by all, with unions like the TUI arguing the potential inequitable implementation and risk of further inflating accommodation prices.
The INTO convention will also propose the reestablishment of academic and other allowances for new teachers, removed in 2012, to enhance the profession’s appeal. Ms Foley, scheduled to speak at the INTO forum on Monday evening, maintains that the “overwhelming majority” of authorised teacher roles are occupied, and the resignation and retirement rate is minimal. She also noted that the recent budget incorporates strategies to reduce the PME cost by €2,000 and that additional 1,000 middle-management posts are slated to be available in the educational system for the 2024-25 academic year.