The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) general secretary, John Boyle, has sounded an alarm about the unprecedented recruitment and retention crisis gripping our educational sector. He criticised the Government for overlooking the plight of several teachers who have consequently chosen to emigrate. These concerns were raised in response to a lecture by the Minister for Education, Norma Foley.
Boyle identified over 2,000 long-term and numerous short-term vacancies in schools as serious concerns. He highlighted the urgency for a significant boost in teacher training by 2030, criticising the Government’s lukewarm handling of the dire situation. He also proposed that until new graduates enter the education system, current efforts should be focused on bringing overseas teachers back home and retaining fresh graduates.
The INTO chief voiced approval for some measures, including heightened investment in special needs education and reverting the primary capitation grant back to pre-austerity figures. However, he expressed dissatisfaction over inadequate continuous professional growth and advancement opportunities. He advocated for a €100 million local negotiation fund to reinforce the prestige of primary teaching.
Boyle voiced his expectation that the Department would back their approaches during local negotiations this coming summer and that the austerity era would finally start winding down from next year’s autumn.
The education minister also emphasised her wish to reinstate additional posts of responsibility, which would bolster school leadership while paving the way for a substantial career trajectory for educators.
The conference saw the attendees voice their concern regarding the scarcity of special needs teachers, raising the alarm over these educators being reassigned to cover general classes. Foley recognised the rising necessity for special education and additional school provision and cited her encouragement of her officials working closely with school patrons and managers to expand school enrolment opportunities for children requiring special education in their local areas.
Mr Boyle criticised the INTO’s disregard for its demands for dedicated support for children with severe and identifiable needs. He further emphasised the pressing need for a reduction in class sizes.
In a conversation with Ms Foley, he stated, “A golden opportunity to terminate Ireland’s disgracefully large class sizes, the largest across the euro zone, was neglected when measures to reduce class size were halted prematurely.” He encouraged her to reduce the student headcount by two in the coming October budget.
Mr Boyle acknowledged that the union applauded measures such as the increase in special education investment and the reversion of the primary capitation grant to pre-austerity levels. However, he remarked on the continued shortage of quality continuing professional development and opportunities for advancement.
During the conference, Ms Foley highlighted the new public sector salary deal as a solution for matters concerning teacher’s pay and work conditions. The pay agreement which has been endorsed by all teacher unions and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, proposes to increase the initial salary of teachers to roughly €46,000 and to about €85,000 at the highest level.
In addition, Ms Foley informed that the government has decided to back a pilot “shared island co-operation programme” for the forthcoming two years to aid efforts against educational disadvantages on both sides of the border.
Notably, during Ms Foley’s address to the INTO, a considerable number of delegates waved placards urging the government to put the “Occupied Territories Bill” into action as a reaction to the ongoing war in Gaza instigated by Israel.
Ms Foley was lauded for disapproving the killing of over 30,000 Palestinians, innocent fatalities, and the purposeful targeting of more than 200 school infrastructures in Gaza ever since the onset of the Israeli bombardment.
However, Mr Boyle appealed for a more vehement response, expressing, “It’s appalling how Ireland’s imports from Israel have multiplied twenty times since 2017, making us Israel’s fourth-largest market, even ahead of the UK. This trade promoting Israel’s apartheid regime must immediately cease.”