Written answers

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

Department of Education and Skills

Teacher Recruitment

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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324. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he has taken in regard to the difficulties schools are having in recruiting teachers for subjects such as home economics and Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54440/18]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers. At primary level this relates mainly to the recruitment of substitute teachers and at post-primary level to the recruitment of teachers of particular subjects, including Irish and Home Economics.

In response to these difficulties, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established in March of last year.

The Steering Group is considering the issues that impact on teacher supply, including: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support; data/research requirements; policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply; and promotion of the teaching profession. The Steering Group is supported by a number of working groups which are looking in detail at the issues under these broad headings. In undertaking its task, the Group is cognisant of the requirement that all persons wishing to teach in recognised schools must meet the professional registration standards and criteria set by the Teaching Council, which is the professional regulatory body for the teaching profession.

The Deputy will be aware that In November 2018, I published the Action Plan for Teacher Supply setting out actions in the four policy areas. One of the higher education actions was for the HEA to engage with HEIs to ensure that additional 4-year undergraduate post primary initial teacher education (ITE) programmes are in place, including in priority subjects such as Irish and Home Economics.

As a result of this engagement a number of new initial teacher education undergraduate programmes will now commence in 2019 and graduates will be eligible for registration with the Teaching Council in a number of the priority subject areas, including Home Economics and Irish. More new undergraduate ITE programmes are also planned by the HEIs to commence in 2020.

The Deputy may wish to note also that one of the key actions in the Action Plan is the implementation of a campaign to promote the teaching profession. The first phase of the campaign, supported by a new dedicated website, was launched in December of last year and is designed, amongst other things, to encourage leaving certificate students, many of whom are in the process of making their CAO applications, to apply for an undergraduate ITE programmes, including the additional programmes put in place by the HEIs for 2019.

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