Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

According to figures from the Irish National Teachers Organisation this morning, only 36 substitute teachers were available nationally on its SubSearch facility today. This compares with an average daily total of 400 in previous years. Today's figures would not cater for the necessary cover for Tallaght, let alone the whole country.

The shortage of substitute teachers has been a matter of grave concern to principals throughout the country since the October mid-term break as well as to teachers. Indeed, we now have teachers offering to come in under the weather, as it were, rather than having a class broken up and distributed among the other classes in the school. This poses particular difficulties for teachers in one, two and three-teacher schools. It is especially difficult in smaller towns and cities and rural areas. It is a serious headache for principals.

One principal described the situation to me. She said that recently she had three sick colleagues and another was on a pre-arranged course day. All three absent teachers were on certified sick leave. She made more than 20 calls to her own personal list of substitutes but no one was available. She eventually sourced a teacher through the INTO SubSearch facility, but that teacher was on her way to a medical appointment with a sick parent. No substitutes were available through the Irish Primary Principals Network TextaSub facility. This resulted in two of the classes being distributed throughout the school, with one class having 39 children for the day. She also had to use two the learning support staff to cover these classes on the day, resulting in potential disruption to children with special educational needs. That principal set out clearly the difficult effect that lack of substitution arrangements or facilities can have for people.

The shortage of substitutes is having a serious impact on teaching principals as they are increasingly unable to avail of the principal release days. Such days are vital to them for administrative and leadership planning roles in their schools. This is a consequence of the lack of substitute cover. It is also impacting on the ability of teachers to participate in continuing professional development for the same reason.

There is a real danger that the substitute shortage will quickly have an impact on learning outcomes. We are all rather proud of the OECD programme for international student assessment report and the standings published earlier this week. They show that we have improved to become the third-best performing nation in the world in terms of reading. This move was initiated by my now retired colleague, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn. Classes of up to 40 children on a regular basis will rapidly undermine this progress.

The reality is that the current situation is directly related to the issue of pay equalisation. Teachers are being actively recruited by Middle Eastern countries, even from the teacher education sections of our universities. Teachers from large urban areas are especially concerned at the high cost of living in comparison with their now reduced pay. Like staff in the medical sector, we are now in danger of losing a generation of teachers who have been educated at the considerable expense of taxpayers.

The Minister urgently needs to consider the establishment of a national and regional supply panel, such as those in operation in other countries. This would give substitute teachers and schools some degree of certainty in respect of their positions. I am keen to hear the response of the Minister.

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