LATEST: 70 teaching vacancies in Kildare primary schools according to new survey

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), in conjunction with the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) and the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA) today published the results of an extensive survey highlighting an unprecedented level of vacant teaching posts in primary and special schools.

The survey found that in total, there is a current shortfall of 809 permanent, fixed-term and long-term substitute teachers in the schools who responded to the survey.

This survey also identifies the disproportionate adverse impact on certain schools. 28% of all schools in the survey reported long term vacancies but that percentage rose to 50% in DEIS Band one schools and Gaelscoileanna and 43% of special schools.

The survey showed a particular geographical impact on Dublin and other urban areas. Dublin was the county with the most vacant posts – 513 out of 809 (63%) of all vacant posts were in the greater Dublin area (109 permanent, 213 fixed-term and 191 long-term substitute). Within Dublin, the areas worst affected are Dublin 24 (58 vacancies, including 21 permanent), Dublin 15 (35, including 9 permanent) and Dublin 12 (33 including 10 permanent).
There were 70 vacancies in Kildare, 63 in Meath, 30 in Louth and 32 in Wicklow.

INTO Deputy General Secretary Deirdre O’Connor said: “This survey indicates that in the schools who responded, there is a current shortfall of 809 teaching posts in the schools surveyed, with another 1,202 expected vacancies in the
next 3 months. In the midst of a staffing crisis in our schools, particularly in our urban areas, all options must actively be explored to ensure that no child is left without a qualified teacher.

"We are acutely aware of the profound impact that the housing crisis and escalating living costs are having on the recruitment and retention of teachers in Ireland, particularly within
areas experiencing rent pressures.
"Prior to the austerity cuts to salaries, allowances and posts of responsibility there was no teacher retention crisis in Ireland.
"The downgrading of the profession between 2009 and 2013 when allowances for teachers were withdrawn and the heart was ripped from the promotional system has left a damning legacy.
"Other countries are incentivising Ireland’s primary teachers to work overseas, and the Department of Education is failing to convince them that they are valued here. As a result, our most vulnerable pupils are losing out.
"For the sake of these pupils concrete measures to tackle the teacher retention crisis must emerge from the next public service agreement.
"It is long past time for the government to get serious about making teaching in Ireland’s primary and special schools as attractive as it once was.”

Two thirds of primary schools responded that they had used a Special Education Teacher (SET) to cover for an absence and 61 schools responded that they had used a SET for more than 20
days by the end of the first month of the school year. This indicates the impact that the teacher shortage is having on special education provision.

The survey of all primary and special schools was conducted in the first week of October with a total of 1,094 schools responding (a 35% response rate). The demographics of the schools
that responded were broadly reflective of the primary education sector.

Key findings:

• Only 72% of the schools who responded had been able to fill all their vacancies, with 306 schools still having vacant posts.

• 89 schools had vacant permanent posts, with 1 school having 8 vacancies and 1 school having 9.

• 149 schools had unfilled long-term fixed-term posts with 13 schools having 4 such posts unfilled, and 6 schools having 5.

• 212 schools had long-term substitute vacancies with 10 schools having 4 vacant substitute posts and 18 having 3.

• 34% of the special schools in the survey had vacant permanent posts.

• Of the 109 DEIS band 1 schools that responded, there were 45 vacant permanent posts, 81 fixed-term posts and 55 unfilled substitute posts.

• In the 53 Gaelscoileanna that responded, there were 18 permanent and 18 fixed-term posts vacant as well as 34 vacant long-term substitute posts.