Hundreds of teaching posts remain unfilled as a result of a “substitution crisis” worst affecting special schools and Irish medium-education, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said.
The union, which blamed the crisis on “political failure” of Government, said national teacher shortages “disproportionately impacted” children with special educational needs, finding they were “more likely to be taught by unqualified substitutes”.
There were 24 unfilled long-term substitute vacancies reported by special schools.
An INTO survey of 565 schools published on Monday revealed special schools had the highest percentage of reported vacant posts, at 56 per cent.
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The survey of primary and special schools was carried out last month in partnership with the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) and the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA).
Findings also revealed that Gaelscoileanna and Deis schools were disproportionately challenged by long-term vacancies – with 43 per cent of Gaelscoileanna, 35 per cent of Deis band two and 32 per cent of Deis band one schools affected – compared to 10 per cent of mainstream schools.
Of the total surveyed schools, 19 per cent said they had not been able to fill all vacant permanent, temporary and long-term substitute positions, with 234 reported such posts in primary and special schools nationally.
The number of vacant posts was highest in Dublin, with 55 per cent of schools affected, including 131 long-term vacancies.
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Wicklow was next with 41 per cent of schools there affected and 24 posts unfilled, followed by Kildare at 39 per cent and 15 unfilled vacancies.
The union said Irish schools were facing a continued “substitution crisis” with 60 per cent (336) of responding schools reporting they had been unable to source a substitute for an absence.
In September, 56 schools reported having 10 or more days where they could not get a substitute. Substitute work was carried out by 283 people with no teaching qualification in schools up to mid-October, the union said.
The practice of splitting classes to cover for absent colleagues “remains widespread”, said the survey, in which 215 schools reported splitting classes. This resulted in 735 days of disruption to children’s learning in the first six weeks of the school year.
INTO general secretary John Boyle said it showed “political failure” on part of the Government “to address the ongoing lack of qualified substitute teachers in the country”.
“This Government made it abundantly clear on Budget day that it is prepared to continue presiding over the largest primary class sizes in Europe. They are clearly happy to ignore the reality that large classes are regularly being subdivided,” he said.
The union urged the Department of Education to “look at attracting teachers to fill positions” and provide incentives for working in special education, disadvantaged schools and in Irish-medium education.
Based on the survey’s findings, it also called for urgent reduction of class sizes to the European average of 19.
