More teachers needed

BERNIE Ruane, whose term as president of the Teacher’s Union of Ireland recently came to an end, has said there will have to be a significant increase in recruitment of second-level teachers to cope with a growing population.

Speaking to The Clare Champion, Ms Ruane, who is returning to her job at St Patrick’s Comprehensive in Shannon, said many new teachers are needed.

“They’ll be needed because the population is going up. What we’ll need between now and 2026 is to take on a few hundred teachers a year at second level to cater for those coming in, otherwise the next generation will be disadvantaged, subject choices cut back and classrooms overcrowded. They will be disadvantaged by accident of the time they were born.”

According to the TUI, the numbers of second-level students is set to increase from 327,105 currently to 413,118 in 2026 and they estimate that around 320 additional teachers a year will be needed.

Ms Ruane said all too often teachers are being given casual work rather than full-time jobs. “The problem is that teachers aren’t being taken on except in a casual capacity, given hours instead of full jobs and it is discouraging people from staying in the system because they can’t afford it. We’re losing a lot of our young people to emigration, we’re training them and they’re teaching elsewhere.”

TUI general secretary John ­MacGabhann agreed with her. “Young people only get one chance. Not only is high quality, public education that is appropriate to the needs of the individual a basic human right, it is also of critical importance to the country’s economic growth and development.”

He said it is important education isn’t let decline through lack of investment. “Now more than ever, it is essential every child be provided with the best possible chance to complete second level and secure an estimable Leaving Certificate. It would be an unconscionable subversion of public policy were children to have their legitimate educational aspirations impeded by further cuts in the pupil teacher ratio by virtue of the year they entered the system. We cannot allow our children to become the victims of historical accident.”

The importance of education must be borne in mind, he concluded. “The education system has been rocked by various cutbacks over the last four years. Teacher numbers have been cut, programmes that benefited marginalised students have been savaged and vital middle management positions such as year head are no longer being filled when they become vacant. Principals and teachers are doing everything they can to paper over the cracks and provide a quality frontline service but this will be severely diminished in the event of further attacks on the system. The projected increase in student numbers clinches the argument for investment in education.

“The education system needs to be looked upon as a driver of economic recovery rather than as a target that can be hit again and again to secure budgetary savings.”