The enduring influence of the church’s lengthy control over our educational system is a frequent topic of discussion in academic literature and public dialogues. There are numerous alternating arguments and rebuttals provided, with the primary focus usually being on issues of governance and character. An attitude towards the professionalism of teachers that flourished over the previous century tends to be commonly overlooked.
For instance, a century ago, about fifty percent of secondary school teachers were lacking the necessary qualifications. Over time, this gradually improved, though it was not uncommon for trained staff to be assigned to teach a subject they were not certified for. This situation was summarised aptly in an article by TJ McElligott, an educator based in Dublin and regular commentator on educational matters, titled “Anybody May Teach Anything (and probably does)”.
Even when a qualified individual was needed, the chosen candidate was often expected to teach beyond their certified field. The Department of Education overlooked this situation throughout the twentieth century. Supporters may argue that secondary schools, as opposed to vocational and community school sectors, were private entities and beyond the jurisdiction of the State. However, there are few indications that the department showed any worries about the prevalent practice of young individuals being taught by unqualified staff.
The significant increase in first-class degrees could relate to student expectations and university rivalry. A child named Fionn, who is proficient in Irish, is unable to access a secondary Gaelscoil. Norma Foley argues that the age verification systems in place for social media are inadequate, putting primary school students at risk.
For over ten years, Ireland’s schooling system has grappled with a concerning scarcity of teachers, a problem affecting both primary and secondary education. The latter level also experiences the task of ensuring a continuation of subject-specialised educators. Worth noting is the challenge of anticipating the accurate yearly intake in optional subjects, which can be highly unpredictable. Several of these subjects have faced periodic shortages. Crucially, this shortage now extends to mandatory subjects, making it a more serious concern.
Appraising the teacher requirement for universally taken subjects like mathematics, for instance, ought to be simpler. However, findings by Ní Ríordáin and Hannigan showed that, over a decade ago, nearly half of the math teachers were not adequately qualified. This percentage has since fallen to 25% as of 2021, which, while better, is still unsatisfactory.
The efforts of the department to confront the teacher scarcity issue have arguably been neither robust nor successful. Various policy missteps and failures have derailed the process, including the 2010 decision to lower the pay scale for newly appointed teachers and reducing promotional opportunities.
Though steps have been taken towards improvement recently, the work is far from done. The casualisation of teaching, in which educators are provided part-time contracts, has proven detrimental to the status of the profession and appeal of teaching. The prospect of primarily receiving part-time contracts after up to six years of studying discourages many from pursuing a career in teaching. Additional factors such as an extra year added to the teacher education programme, lack of permanent contracts, and fewer promotional opportunities have driven qualified teachers to seek positions abroad, with little done to entice them to return.
Authorities were notably slow in responding to this crisis. The 2012 Sahlberg report on initial teacher offering criticised the failure to handle the teacher shortage, a crucial observation that the department and the Teaching Council failed to act upon promptly.
In 2013, the council received a request from Ruairí Quinn, who was then a minister, to provide guidance to his department regarding the problem of teacher supply. An initial report was released at the conclusion of 2014, with a final follow-up in 2017. This led to the formation of the teacher supply steering group, whose efforts have reaped valuable results. Notable initiatives have included creating more spots in teacher training centres, easing regulations on job-sharing and enabling retired teachers to take on more work. Other noteworthy strides include the establishment of panels for replacement teachers, an expedited registration process for newly-certified teachers and those stationed overseas, along with the provision of upskilling opportunities in various subjects. However, the continued obstacle of teacher supply within schools demonstrates that these alterations are not sufficient.
The term “sticking plaster solutions” employed by this publication to portray these efforts is, in my opinion, a fair assessment. It suggests that other measures appear to merely reflect a desire by the authorities to be perceived as taking action. The practise of dividing teachers among secondary schools was attempted in the academic year of 2019/20 yet fell short. Anyone with a deep understanding of the intricacies of school scheduling would have foreseen this result. Regardless, the minister revealed an improved model for this scheme just prior to the current academic year’s start. Its subsequent failure should not come as a shock.
At the same time, many young individuals are receiving instruction from inadequately qualified staff. Oddly enough, this issue could go unnoticed if one were to read several school inspection reports. It prompts one to question whether the department sees the practise of “out-of-field” teaching as an issue, or if the official stance remains the same as it was a hundred years ago — that anyone is equipped to teach any subject.
Brian Fleming is a former principal of a secondary school, now retired.