Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My Department is working with education partners on measures to address anticipated teacher supply pressures arising from additional posts in the system and to meet the demand for teachers to fill short-term substitutable vacancies. I reiterate that the additional posts coming into the system are very positive news for the education sector. The Covid-19 environment is impacting on the willingness of teachers to travel and work abroad and we are hearing from post-primary schools that there are some improvements in supply this year as a result. In 2019-20, there were 2,800 teachers on part-time contracts and 1,300 job-sharing.

My Department is also working with the Teaching Council to raise awareness of teacher supply in post-primary schools, focusing on teachers who are currently registered but not actively working in schools. The higher education institutions are working on more flexible arrangements for student teacher placement in post-primary schools also. This will facilitate student teachers to be available to their school for substitution and supervision while on placement. Student teachers will be paid for any hours worked outside their required placement hours. The Teaching Council is also working to allow teachers who qualified abroad to register and complete their induction programme here in Ireland for the coming school year. This move alone could see up to 200 additional newly qualified teachers becoming available to the system at post-primary level.

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