Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

402. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to commence a teacher recruitment programme to address shortages of teachers in certain geographical areas. [47875/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

In accordance with Department Circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired.

My Department does not have a direct role in the recruitment of teachers and I have no plans to commence a teacher recruitment programme to address shortages of teachers in certain geographical areas.

However, I am of course aware that in recent years education partners, including school management bodies, teacher unions and school leaders, have reported that some schools are experiencing difficulties in recruiting teachers, particularly substitute teachers at primary and post-primary levels and teachers of certain subjects at post-primary level.

In repose to these difficulties in March 2018, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established. The Steering Group is leading on the identification of issues, the development of a programme of actions on teacher supply and overseeing its implementation. It is supported by an Implementation Group and a number of working groups which are considering specific areas of policy.

The Teacher Supply Action Plan, published in November 2018, includes a range of actions under four policy headings: data/research to support teacher supply planning; higher education; policies and arrangements impacting on teacher supply; and communications / promotion of the teaching profession.

A number of measures have been out in place to match available teachers with vacancies

Following a successful pilot in 2019/ 2020 there are now 132 primary school supply panels in operation, providing cover for substitute vacancies in 80% of primary schools (approximately 2,550 schools) and employing 377 teachers.

Sub Seeker, a central portal for short term substitute vacancies, jointly developed by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), has operated since late 2019 and matches available teachers with short-term substitute vacancies in primary and post-primary schools.

In addition, Turasabhaile, a service developed by the post-primary school management bodies and NAPD, matches registered teachers resident abroad with post-primary vacancies. The IPPN is also developing a new central portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term positions in primary and post-primary schools. It is anticipated that this portal will be available to schools and teachers in the coming months.

A number of measures have also been put in place to increase the supply of teachers at post primary level, particularly in subjects where difficulties in recruitment have been reported.

Following engagement with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), higher education institutions (HEIs) put in place new post-primary initial teacher education (ITE) undergraduate programmes in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in priority subject areas, including mathematics, modern foreign languages and Irish.

The HEA, on behalf of my Department, issued a call to ITE providers for proposals for programmes to upskill already registered teachers in targeted post-primary subjects (Spanish, mathematics and physics). The programmes, which commenced in January 2021, will run over two years on a part-time, flexible basis. There is no fee charge for participating teachers.

Earlier this year I, along with my colleague Minister Harris, announced an additional programme to upskill teachers in Irish, to begin in 2022. My Department is currently engaging with the HEA in regard to a call to ITE providers for the provision of this programme.

These measures are underpinned by the Teaching Transformscampaign, which promotes the teaching profession and encourages students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.

My Department will continue, with the cooperation of the education partners, to develop and implement measures to support the supply of teachers to our schools.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

403. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to introduce supports for school principals experiencing burnout. [47876/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

An Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for individual staff members in recognised primary and post primary schools. The aim of the Occupational Health Strategy is to promote the health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace, with a strong focus on prevention. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises the Employee Assistance Service and the Occupational Health Service.

The Employee Assistance Service (EAS) is provided by Spectrum.Life under the logo of ‘Wellbeing Together: Folláinne Le Chéile’.

The EAS is a self-referral service where employees have access to a dedicated free-phone confidential helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing advice on a range of issues such as wellbeing, legal, financial, mediation, management support etc. All points of contact for the service are qualified, accredited and experienced mental health professionals.

Where required, short-term counselling is available to employees and their families (over the age of 18 years and living at home). The EAS also provides advice and support to managers and delivers interventions to help them deal with health and wellbeing issues in the workplace.

A bespoke wellbeing portal and app is available which offers access to podcasts, blogs, live chats and videos on topics around wellbeing and mental health and family life. E-Learning programmes across mental health, sleep and a range of wellbeing topics are also available. In addition, online cognitive behavioural therapy is provided. Spectrum.Life also provides a series of webinars and presentations to promote wellbeing in schools.

More information on the Employee Assistance Service is available at link: www.gov.ie/en/service/23acf5-employee-assistance-service/.

Spectrum.Life recently provided a series of ‘Mental Health Seminars’specifically for Principals and Deputy Principals Mental Health Seminars covering the topics: ‘Building Resilience’, 'Conflict Resolution’ and ‘Promoting Communication’.

For the month of October, Spectrum.Life is also currently providing a series of ‘School Community Seminars’for Mental Health week. Details of these seminars are available at link: www.gov.ie/en/service/23acf5-employee-assistance-service/#access-the-eas. On 15 October, a seminar titled ‘Beating Burnout’ is available and school staff may register at link: app.sli.do/event/1uxp9yva.

Work continues on the implementation of the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice which sets out the ambition and vision of my Department that the promotion of wellbeing will be at the core of the ethos of every school in Ireland. Under the policy a range of resources have been developed to support all in the school community.

My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has provided advice and resources for the school community i.e. parents, students and school staff, during COVID-19. This information is available under the heading of wellbeing advice and resources for parents, students and school staff during COVID-19.