A shortage of teachers in Ireland is forcing schools to trim subjects from their curricula. Principals have reached out to the Department of Education and Ministers Norma Foley and Leo Varadkar for help.
Since the summer of 2022, many teaching positions have remained vacant, leading to subject reductions. One school had to remove a subject after six failed attempts to fill the position.
The problem extends to multiple subjects, including Math, English, Geography, Technology, and Spanish. Some schools are using student teachers as a temporary solution, though this is not sustainable.
The Teachers Union Ireland (TUI) proposes permanent employment for second-level teachers, highlighting that 65% of teachers hired after 2011 lack full-time contracts due to inadequate benefits.
The Education Department claims improvement, with increased recruitment and over 2,700 student teachers registered. Retired teachers are also being encouraged to return temporarily to address the crisis.