Labour education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny has called on the government to place a greater focus on teacher retention alongside efforts to recruit additional teachers, saying Ireland needs to ensure teaching remains an attractive and sustainable long-term career.
Kenny was responding to findings highlighted by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland which point to growing concerns around workload, bureaucracy and the pressures facing teachers across the education system.
The Labour education spokesperson said “teachers enter the profession because they want to teach, support their students and make a difference in their classrooms. We need to make sure they are given the time and space to do that.”
“The challenges around teacher recruitment are well understood, but the findings highlighted by the TUI show that we also need to pay much closer attention to retention. Recruiting additional teachers is only part of the solution if experienced teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the profession.
Kenny noted “it is concerning that 92% of respondents say their bureaucratic workload has increased since they started teaching, while 92% believe the number of new initiatives being introduced is contributing to burnout. These findings should push the government to look carefully at the cumulative demands being placed on teachers and schools.”
“As a former teacher, I know the significant amount of work that takes place outside the classroom. Of course, there will always be administrative requirements within our education system, but we need to ensure they are proportionate and do not take teachers away unnecessarily from their core work with students.
The Labour TD said “when new requirements or initiatives are introduced, we should also be asking what can be streamlined or removed to make space for them.”
“There are other practical steps the government can take to strengthen the teaching workforce. Ireland should be an attractive place for teachers to build their careers, including those who have gained valuable experience abroad and want to return home. Relevant overseas teaching experience should be properly recognised and unnecessary barriers to returning to the Irish education system should be addressed. We also need to provide greater certainty for teachers at the beginning of their careers. Insecure or part-time positions, combined with high housing and living costs, make it difficult for young teachers to see a sustainable future here.
“Labour has called for significant investment in additional teaching posts and smaller class sizes. We need a workforce strategy that considers recruitment and retention together and looks at how we can support teachers throughout their careers.”