Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to make a few comments. Ms McDonnell's opening statement was overly optimistic in the view set out. She referred to the Department being aware that some schools report difficulties in recruiting substitute teachers at primary level and in certain subjects at post-primary level. I went back through some of the submissions last night from the stakeholders who have appeared before the committee. The INTO stated that 90% of its principals had experienced difficulties in getting substitutes. Of those principals, 83% said it was far more difficult in 2017 than it was in 2016. Big alarm bells are going off there. According to a survey carried out in September and October, substitutes were found in relation to only 66% of cover that could be covered by substitutes. Obviously, there is some cover that is not allowed but it is a significant issue. It meant that almost 6,000 school days were not covered. That has a significant impact on students within our schools.

A number of recommendations were made by the variety of stakeholders appeared before the committee. Certainly, I feel those recommendations were very worthwhile, in particular the recommendation on supply teacher panels. I accept that it can be difficult to establish panels when we have a shortage of teachers, however, I have seen the frustration among teachers and principals at primary level. They have to make phone call after phone call over weekends and through the week to try to find substitute teachers and it is just not working. I refer to the four-year bachelor of education degree. The day one starts to learn about teaching is one's first day as a teacher in the classroom. I went through a three-year bachelor of education degree and it is now a four-year degree. We could look at changing the final year to a form of internship within a school. There was a blockage in 2015 which caused a great deal of the problem. There had not been forward thinking in that regard.

We must look at teachers who qualify in jurisdictions if we cannot encourage our own to come home, albeit that is something we should also try. Teachers are living and working in Dubai because of the cost of rent and housing here, which is a huge problem for them. While one might say they start on an okay salary, trying to pay a mortgage or high rent is practically impossible. As such, there are attractive advantages to taking a job abroad with low tax, free accommodation and flights back home, in particular for couples. I agree with colleagues that we must do more to bring our teachers back. They are highly qualified and have gone through a really good education system here which we have paid for. As such, we should absolutely do more to retain teachers here.

Reforming the PME course is vital. The cost of it was one of the issues that arose, as was the length of time it takes to complete. This is something to which serious consideration must be given. The Department's opening statement referred to the teacher supply steering group which is chaired by the Secretary General. Who else is on the steering group? The committee was told that a number of working groups are reporting and making recommendations. What are these other working groups and who do they represent? It is important to provide the committee with that type of information.

Colleagues have said that there may be a peak next year and that we may not have a need for teachers after that. However, what happened in the past may happen again and the country may run short of people with the necessary skills.

We are approaching full employment. If we do not have enough people with skills, then many migrant workers may come here for work with their children and families, which will heap another layer of stress on the education system. For example, there is a reception centre for Syrian refugees in Monasterevin and the local schools were not given extra resources to provide help and support to Syrian students. We must take all of that into consideration.

As part of the committee's work programme, members have agreed to hold a kind of summer school and meet in August to discuss issues that have an impact on schools. As schools will reconvene in September, we will discuss capitation grants, school buildings and so on.

Last week we held informal discussions with teaching principals. The lack of substitute teachers to relieve teaching principals is a huge problem, particularly when one considers the workload of the latter. I believe that such substitution work is under-reported because some principal teachers cannot find substitute teachers to take over their classes and, therefore, that is proof that more substitute teachers are needed. I do not wish to pre-empt the work that we will do as a committee, but we have been requested to consider recommending extra substitute days for teaching principals. I recall what was said by one of the teaching principals who attended our informal discussion. One teaching principal in a four-teacher school said that she must look after 23 staff and teach three classes. Such a situation is untenable and I am sure that it is very difficult for everyone involved.

Pay parity has an awful lot to do with this matter. Until we restore pay parity and posts of responsibilities within schools, we will be left fighting an uphill battle. I ask the witnesses to respond to my questions.