Schools putting up 'sales pitches' to fill teacher posts
Orla McLoughlin: 'It's a buyer's market because schools are crying out for teachers.'
The principal of a primary school in Dublin who has been unable to fill three essential posts despite advertising them three times has said the shortage crisis will affect the “most vulnerable children”.
Orla McLoughlin is principal of Sacred Heart Junior National School, a Deis band 1 school in Tallaght.
She said an online group once used to source last-minute substitutes has gone into panic mode over the past month with a litany of fixed-term positions “in every school”.
“Every single day, principals are sharing their ads that they've put on Education Posts, but along with that, they're putting up almost like a sales pitch, trying to make it attractive,” she said.
It comes as the president of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (Asti), Geraldine O’Brien, last month said the teacher shortage crisis is now “at its worst”.
Ms McLoughlin has been unable to fill three once coveted fixed-term positions saying she "can’t imagine" getting short-term cover in the coming year should any issues arise.
She advertised the posts in May and June, but candidates have their choice of multiple jobs due to the shortages everywhere.
Ms McLoughlin first advertised the posts in May and received applications from six applicants, all of whom pulled out before interviews took place as they had secured jobs elsewhere.
After advertising the roles again in June, just two out of five accepted interview offers, to whom she offered the jobs.
“I was on an interview board the next day for another school and one of them appeared at the interview for that school.
There are currently 623 primary school positions advertised on Education Posts, 293 of which are located in Dublin, and 42 of which are in Cork.
Some 451 posts remain unfilled for post-primary school positions, 170 of which are located in Dublin and 33 in Cork.
She said although the recruitment crisis is not a new phenomenon, more and more teachers are opting to travel, while many cannot afford to rent in large cities and towns in Dublin and Cork.
Ms McLoughlin had two teachers resign to move to Dubai, while another two have taken career breaks to move to Australia.
She said being a Deis school makes it even harder to fill positions.
Having to advertise a job for 14 days, in addition to another seven days before interviews can take place means principals have to be three weeks ahead.
If she cannot fill the posts with the third round of interviews, she will not have the essential staff in place by the time the school opens in September which will cause a “massive void”.
The unfilled post that worries her the most is for a support teacher providing emotional and behavioural support, which she said is “invaluable” for a Deis band 1 school.
In addition to travel and rent costs, several other barriers are contributing to the crisis, including the difficult nature of registering to teach, while the time it takes to complete degrees “may need to be paired back,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Teaching Council said although it does not have a remit concerning the recruitment of teachers, “we are very aware of the ongoing pressures and demand for qualified and vetted teachers”.
“This is also in the context of the wider ongoing pressures in the economy that are having an effect on teacher supply and availability in Ireland,” the spokesperson said.
