Ms Breda Corr:

My introduction is the usual one. I have done it a few times now and the committee members are probably fed up with it. However, for the benefit or people who are new to the committee, I represent boards of management of special schools and mainstream primary and post-primary schools providing education for pupils with special educational needs. My focus will be on the special education area. Many of the issues are the same but they are particularly serious for special schools and special education.

I will not rehash my submission as the members already have it. The issues we have are short-term substitution for one, two or three days and long-term substitution for statutory leaves, which is very worrying. We also have issues in recruiting teachers for permanent and temporary contracts. There are no applications or no teachers for permanent contracts for a year. That is serious. Many of the other speakers might not be aware of that, but it is particularly acute in our sector. The retention of teachers in special education is a concern as well. What should be addressed in that regard is initiative planning by the powers-that-be and the restoration of posts of responsibility in special schools. I am quite specific about that. I will not go through all the substitution issues. With regard to mainstream schools and the numbers for when there was no qualified substitute to be found, from Christmas to now it ranged between four and 58 days. It was similar in special schools. However, there is a further problem in that area because some of those schools could not get either qualified or unqualified people for those days. That is particularly acute.

I detailed in my submission the short-term solutions that are found by schools. In fact, they are not short-term and they are not solutions. It is a grave concern that the resource teacher teaches the mainstream class, leaving those in need of greater support without that support for a period or, vice versa, where the mainstream teacher goes into the special class and the class is then divided. We have a situation where, and I referred to this in the submission with regard to long-term substitution, administrative principals are endeavouring to cover classes on an almost daily basis in schools. When do they get time to do their administrative work? That is of grave concern to us.

The next issue in recruitment is securing teachers for long-term contracts. This is not just a Dublin phenomenon. It occurs in other places. Some of our schools in Galway tell us they have no problem so obviously Galway is a very attractive place to live. However, rural areas in Mayo and Sligo are finding it difficult, as is Dublin. Some schools are not even getting an application. Retention is a linked area and is very worrying. It was alleviated a couple of years ago by probation being allowed to be served in special schools, and I thank the Teaching Council and others for that. Obviously, we would have lobbied them. However, some teachers still feel unprepared for teaching in special settings upon qualification.

I have suggested possible solutions. It refers back to the substitute panel and teachers on career breaks, job-sharing teachers and retired teachers. In my submission I refer to guaranteed placement where trainee teachers would be assigned. I also refer to recognition of teaching qualifications from other countries and financial incentives. The last one is the planning of initiatives and the restoration of posts of responsibility to the special education sector, because some of our schools have had severe losses even though the Department says there were restorations.