With an increased amount of teachers being hired, it is commonly thought that schools would have no problems with being understaffed.
However, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation says this isn’t the case.
Due to raises in rent, especially in Dublin, some teachers have moved outside of cities to seek cheaper accommodation while others have gone abroad in search of higher paying jobs.
The result is taking its toll in the classrooms. Schools cannot find substitute teachers to fill in when needed, leaving them with the only option of sending children home early.
The Irish Times reported that a Dublin primary school sent a letter out to parents explaining the situation.
“We are having great difficulty in recruiting teachers and we often do not have cover if a teacher is absent because of illness, extra-curricular work or in-service training,” the school said.
“Unfortunately, this situation may continue.”
South Dublin principal Carmel Hume told the newspaper how common the issue is becoming around the country.
“Schools are in a very difficult position. It’s almost impossible to find substitute cover for sickness or maternity cover,” she said.
“Schools are faced with having to split children between different classes or using the special education teams to take classes.
“No one wants to do it, but some schools may have no option but to send children home for health and safety reasons.”
Hopefully, the state will be able to come up with a short-term solution for the growing issue.
But in the long run, they hope to raise teachers’ salaries to combat the problem.
