School principals have a “huge crisis” on their hands with a large number of teaching jobs going unfilled.
Scoil Áine Naofa Principal Connor Reilly said he would normally have all positions filled by the end of July - but this year he is struggling.
The Dublin school has 41 teaching positions and seven remain unfilled.
“In a normal year, you could have 100 applications for a few mainstream, fixed-term positions,” Mr Reilly told Lunchtime Live.
“Whereas this year, only a few weeks ago I had to re-advertise five positions and I got seven applications.
“I called all seven for interview, two came for interview and one has accepted a job with us out of that procedure there.”
Mr Reilly described his school as having a “good location” in Lucan and in previous years they would have had a “huge number" of applicants from recent graduates from the nearby Maynooth University.
He has come to the conclusion the high cost of living in Dublin makes it an unattractive place to live for many teachers and that many young graduates simply want to leave Ireland altogether.
“Teachers in their mid-20s, rather than hanging around, trying to get their permanent contract, they’re just resigning or leaving their school to go abroad,” he said.
“[They’re] fully in the knowledge that they’ll probably get a job easy enough when they come back.
“Whereas, traditionally, teachers would have hung on and got a permanent contract and if they wanted to travel, they would have applied for a career break.”
'A really challenging situation'
Pobalscoil Neasáin Principal Pat McKenna said his own school was “not in a bad position” but that that could change at a moment’s notice.
“Even if they [a principal] recruit someone in May or June, they are getting a call in the first week in August now saying, ‘Sorry, I got another position, I’m now moving closer to home,’” he said.
“So, it’s a really challenging situation.”
He described recruitment as a “growing issue” and said the problem is “exacerbated” in term time when schools have to fill short-term contracts for staff who take leave because of illness or the birth of a baby.
You can listen back here:
Main image: Male teacher teaching his kids about geography. Picture by: Wavebreak Media ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
