Mr. Paul Byrne:

On behalf of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, NAPD, I thank the joint committee for the invitation to make a submission on the apparent shortage of qualified substitute teachers throughout the State, including issues related to recruitment and retention. The brief submission prepared by the NAPD is based on the valuable work being done by the association on addressing the practical needs of its members in securing qualified substitute teachers. In compiling the report, cognisance was given to the 2017 technical working group report, Striking the Balance – Teacher Supply in Ireland.

As members will have seen from the introduction to the submission, the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals has been representing the voice of school principals since 2008. They will also have noted that the NAPD has been working in partnership with Mr. Kyle McLoughlin of Posude Limited since 2014 to create and maintain a national substitute database in the form of SubTeacher.ie. This system is now a valuable resource for post-primary schools in sourcing substitute teachers. The operation of the database for the past three years has yielded a valuable set of statistics on the number of substitute teachers sought by schools and the number of substitute teachers available by subject and location. Regular analysis of the data shows a significant discrepancy between the number of teachers sought and the number available and allows us to drill into where the shortages in substitute teachers are being experienced.

As a deputy principal of a school of 650 pupils, I can state from first-hand experience that there is a serious shortage of substitute teachers in many subject areas. At times of peak demand, it is sometimes not possible to source a sufficient number of substitute teachers to cover classes. The reasons for this shortage, which are set out in the submission, correspond with the findings of the technical working group report of 2015. They also include more recent changes in post-primary schools, which have affected the numbers of teachers available for substitution work.

Demands for substitution created by teacher participation in continuing professional development and work for the Professional Development Service for Teachers, the junior cycle for teachers and the State Examinations Commission have exacerbated the problem. Our submission suggests some possible short-term and longer-term solutions which could help to alleviate the current challenges in the area of teacher supply, recruitment and retention.

The lack of teacher supply is one of the biggest stress points for all stakeholders in education. To this end, I wish the joint committee every success in its work on this issue. I thank members again for inviting me to speak on behalf of the NAPD and I will endeavour to provide clarity on any areas of our submission on which they may seek clarification.