Unions claim low pay for collaspe of numbers entering teaching

There has been a collapse in the number of people applying to study for qualifications to become second level teachers due to pay inequality, education sector unions claim.

Last week the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) argued that pay inequality in the profession had created a recruitment and retention crisis in teaching in a joint submission to the Public Service Pay Commission.

The unions made a detailed submission on the emerging crisis, which has seen a sharp fall in applications to teacher education courses, an increase in emigration amongst recently qualified teachers and increasing difficulties in filling posts and employing substitute teachers.

Commenting on the submission, INTO President John Boyle said: ‘One of the consequences of pay inequality is serious teacher shortages here while Irish teachers are employed abroad.
TUI President Joanne Irwin said: ‘There has been a drop of over 50% in PME applications (the PME is required to teach at post-primary level) in recent years with an even sharper drop in applications in specific subject areas.
ASTI President Ger Curtin said: ‘Until recently, Ireland was one of a handful of countries in the OECD which did not face recruitment and retention problems in teaching. However, just as we have been warning for the past few years, that situation has now changed.