Urgent action needed to fill teaching vacancies – Smith

A councillor believes that as “a matter of urgency” the current two-year Professional Masters of Education (PME) should be condensed to a one-year course in order to help address the current shortage of teachers and substitute teachers in Ireland.

Fianna Fáil’s Áine Smith believes the current system “takes too long and costs too much”, and that it has become “glaringly obvious” that many graduates with degrees do not want to do a PME considering most degrees are now four years in duration.

She highlighted how “it takes too long and costs too much” for a 22-year-old graduate.

“The six-year route to qualifying as a second-level teacher for many is a long and expensive road. When I qualified as a teacher, I completed my postgrad diploma in Education in one year. Our placement was during the day, in block form and lectures were in the afternoon. These days students complete year one in college with block placements, but in year two they spend on average five days in college from January to May,” explained Cllr Smith.

Addressing the elected members at the December monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, Cllr Smith stressed: “Five days! How can students be charged €4,000 for five days?”

The PME, she outlined to the meeting, was introduced in 2014 to “improve teaching standards” in schools following the Finnish model but, unlike Finland, fees are paid by the students rather than the State.

“After speaking to a PME student, they told me that a two-year course costs €8,000 a year, €16,000 in total.”

This, she stated, has led to a “sharp drop” in new PME applications. “So, we need to ask ourselves do we really need a two-year PME to qualify as a teacher? The answer I feel is no. Irish, Maths, French, Home Economics, Spanish and Physics are subjects with the most severe recruitment and retention difficulties. Many schools are depending on retired teachers to fill vacancies,” revealed Cllr Smith.

Fine Gael’s TP O’Reilly praised the contents of the motion as a “practical solution” to the current problem.

He also suggested that if young adults complete their teaching course in Ireland they should be tied into working the first few years here in Ireland on permanent contract.

Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF) said there were few incentives to keep young graduates here in Ireland, and the lure of travelling abroad was often too great for some.

There was support too for the motion from Cllrs Trevor Smith (FG) and Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald who noted that the area of apprenticeships often saw employees working for less than they’d receive in social welfare. “It needs to be addressed.”

Cllr Clifford Kelly (FF) agreed with the tie-in option for teaching graduates, and with suggestion to reduce the PME to one year.

“There should be engagement,” said Cllr Winston Bennett (FG).

“There are a lot more setting off to get a fist full of dollars abroad to start a new house. You can’t hold it against them. The challenge is keeping them here,” he said.