Irish primary schools are facing a big problem – they don’t have enough teachers. A new report shows schools are using people who aren’t fully qualified teachers to keep classes going.
This year, 745 people who aren’t registered as teachers have been hired to teach in schools. Nearly 300 of these are in Dublin. Schools have also hired over 1,100 teachers who are registered but not trained for primary school teaching.
The problem is so bad that almost 1 in 3 schools couldn’t find enough teachers for all their classes this year. Because of this, 505 schools had to put students from different classes together in the first five weeks of school.
Special schools for students with extra needs are having the most trouble finding teachers. More than half of these schools say they have empty teaching jobs. The problem is worst in Dublin, Wicklow, and Kildare, where it’s expensive to live.
To deal with the shortage, many schools are moving special education teachers into regular classrooms. This is happening more in Dublin and in schools in poorer areas.
Schools are trying their best to keep teaching students, but it’s getting harder. People in charge of education are looking for ways to fix this growing problem.
According to The Journal, this teacher shortage is making it tough for schools to give students the education they need.