Minister Bruton convenes Specialist Group on Teacher Supply

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, today convened the first meeting of the Teacher Supply Steering Group, a specialist group of stakeholders, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú.

Minister Bruton has established the Group to ensure that there is an adequate supply of quality teachers to meet the needs of primary and post primary schools and to ensure we can deliver on the government’s ambition to make Ireland’s Education and Training Service the best in Europe by 2026.

The numbers graduating from all teacher education programmes are steady and we are now recruiting more new teachers than at any other point in the history of the State. Over 5,000 additional teachers have been successfully recruited in the last two years.

However, concerns have been raised around teacher supply in recent times. The Group will consider the issues that impact on teacher supply and demand and oversee a programme of actions according to strict timelines and clear deliverables to meet important needs.

The Group will be considering the following areas:

policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply
promotion of the teaching profession
higher education: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support
data/ research

Convening the first meeting, Minister Bruton said:

“We are very lucky in Ireland to have excellent teachers. Our teachers and school leaders are not only key to ensuring a positive outcome for the individual child but a high quality teaching profession is crucial to delivering on our goal to be the best in Europe."

“We have very ambitious plans for Education, in areas such as STEM, digital learning and foreign languages and a key step in those strategies is to ensure that we have a steady supply of teachers to deliver on these ambitions."

“Concerns have been raised in recent times around teacher supply. I am convening this group to respond to these concerns and consider the issues which impact on teacher supply and demand. The Teacher Supply Steering Group will oversee a programme of actions according to strict timelines and deliverables and I look forward to seeing their progress which will build on the previous measures we have undertaken in this area."

“Teaching is a fantastic profession for any young person considering their options. I would like to again take this opportunity to remind final year Leaving Certificate students who may still be considering a career in teaching that that they can use the CAO “change of mind” facility up to 1st July 2018.”

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

Minister Bruton has already taken a number of measures to alleviate pressures in this area:

universities have increased the capacity on undergraduate initial teacher education programmes by an estimated 280 places in 2018
this includes an increase in the priority areas of STEM, Irish and foreign languages of more than 100 places, an increase of over 40% on 2017 in these areas
at postgraduate level, the Universities have increased the capacity on PME programmes by more than 100 places in the priority areas of STEM, Irish and foreign languages
the universities and Postgraduate Applications Centre (PAC) have extended the closing date to Friday 13 April for applications for entry to PME programmes for Irish and the targeted STEM and foreign language subjects (Mathematics (including Applied Maths), Physics, Chemistry, French, German, Spanish and Italian)
the restriction on the number of days a teacher can work while on career break has been temporarily lifted
employers were reminded that “in considering applications for career breaks, the welfare and educational needs of the pupils shall take precedence over all other considerations and accordingly, must take account of the availability of appropriate qualified replacement teachers"
the number of students admitted to St. Angela's, Sligo, in the current year, to study the home economics programme has been increased
as part of the policy on Gaeltacht education, the Minister has also made funding available for the provision of two additional posts tor the existing Irish medium post primary initial teacher education programme in NUIG and is increasing from 2018/19 the number of places available on the programme
all teachers retiring in 2017 were informed that in order to remain eligible for employment in a state funded teaching post for a period of more than five consecutive days or to supervise the State examinations, they must maintain their registrations with the Teaching Council

Terms of Reference of the Steering Group

The Steering Group will:

evaluate policy initiatives both for short-term and longer term implementation to respond to constraints in the system which have been already identified, and others which it identifies in the course of its work on teacher supply and demand
oversee a programme of actions for implementation by the Department of Education and Skills, its agencies and Higher Education Institutions together with identified targets, outcomes and timeframes
provide direction and governance for the programme of actions and be the escalation point for the resolution of any difficulties
provide a forum for the discussion of significant issues which impact on demand and supply and how these can be best progressed
develop a consultation and communication strategy

Group membership:

Chairperson: Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General, DES
Mary Doyle, Deputy Secretary General, DES
Ruth Carmody, Asst. Secretary General, DES
Harold Hislop, Chief Inspector, DES
Patrick Cluskey, Minister’s Advisor
Graham Love, Higher Education Authority
Tomás Ó Ruairc, Teaching Council
John O’Halloran, Deputy President and Registrar, UCC
Eithne Guilfoyle, Vice President Academic and Registrar, DCU
Lewis Purser, Director Academic Affairs, Irish Universities Association
Independent expert: to be confirmed