More than 14,000 unqualified people were working as teachers in Ireland last year.

Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk show that 8,871 people who were not registered with the Teaching Council worked as substitute teachers in primary schools in 2021.

Meanwhile, 5,145 unregistered people worked substitute teacher shifts in secondary schools.

It adds up to 136,109 substitute shifts at primary level and 91,845 at secondary.

Unregistered

Schools are entitled to employ unregistered teachers in urgent or unforeseen circumstances, but they are limited to teaching in a particular school for a maximum of five days and are paid an unqualified rate of pay.

Labour education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin told Newstalk the situation is unacceptable.

“We have a teacher shortage issue at primary school and secondary school and they are being filled by people who are doing their best but aren’t qualified,” he said.

“What happens then is children just aren’t getting the same standard of education they should be getting.

“This has been flagged for quite a long time but there doesn’t seem to be any urgency from the department to address the issue.”

Shortage

As schools were returning earlier this year, Newstalk revealed that many were finding it “almost impossible” to fill teacher roles – especially in Dublin.

Teachers trying to make a living in the capital told the station the ‘crushing’ crises in housing and the cost-of-living were forcing people to leave the profession – or the country altogether.

A survey, published by the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) just this week, found that 91% of secondary schools have experienced issues recruiting teachers in the last six months.

Recruitment and retention

Deputy Ó Ríordán said the practice of hiring unregistered teachers is damaging to the profession.

“These issues should be well-known to the department by now if they are serious about recruiting and retaining professional teachers in the system.

“We can’t stand over a situation where our children are being taught by those who are untrained. It undermines the profession and undermines their education – so the department, surely, should know by this stage that we have a problem.”

Unqualified

He warned that students are suffering as a result.

“You need somebody who has been trained to teach,” he said. “Someone who understands the dynamics of a classroom and can really put the professional skills and development into practice.

“Having short-term measures, such as people standing into classrooms isn’t a solution and I think the department need to understand that and fix it.”

The Department of Education says an unregistered person must hold at least a level seven qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications, and any unregistered person who is a teacher must be vetted for child-protection reasons.