Minister McHugh welcomes first regional teacher supply focus group taking place in Cork today

The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD, today (Thursday November 29th) welcomed the first of 5 regional teacher supply focus groups to be held under the Teacher Supply Action Plan, which the Minister recently launched. The development of the Actions Plan was led by the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department, in recognition of the significant challenges for some schools experience in recruiting teachers. At primary level, the recruitment of substitute teachers is problematic while at post primary recruitment of teachers in certain specific subject areas, such as STEM, modern languages, Irish and home economics is proving difficult.

Tonight’s event, which is being held in the Cork, will provide an opportunity for principals, teachers and parents in the Munster region to consider and respond to the Action Plan and to contribute new ideas. It is intended to have representation from secondary school students in the focus groups in early 2019. The students will be given the opportunity to voice their concerns and make recommendations in relation to teacher supply.

Minister McHugh said:

“Addressing the current and future challenges in teacher supply is a national priority which also has a regional dimension. Finding solutions to these challenges will require the input and cooperation of stakeholders at all levels and I wish to acknowledge the invaluable contribution already made by our many stakeholders to date. Tonight’s event is an opportunity for teachers and parents at grassroots level to contribute to our understanding of the issues and to contribute to the solutions we require.”

Four more regional focus groups are planned before the end of January 2019 in Galway, Dublin, Kilkenny and Donegal.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

A copy of the Teacher Supply Action Plan is available.

Establishment of the Steering Group

The Steering Group on Teacher Supply is leading on a programme of actions to address concerns about the supply of teachers. The Group held its first meeting on 26 March 2018.

Methodology

The Steering Group leads on the identification of issues, the development of a programme of actions on teacher supply and will oversee its implementation.

An Implementation Group supports the work of the Steering Group.

The Group is also supported in its work by a number of working groups which consider and report on particular issues. The working groups report to the Implementation Group.

Consultation with partners and stakeholders will be a central feature of the way the Steering Group works.

The work is supported by a dedicated secretariat within the department.

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

The Steering Group is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department and includes members of the department’s Management Board, representatives of the School Management bodies, senior nominees of the HEA, the Teaching Council, the Irish Universities Association and the HEIs and an independent expert.

Consultative forums are planned to ensure that all stakeholders are kept aware of the measures being considered and implemented and to facilitate their input and participation.

The first consultative forum took place on Thursday 8 November in the Davenport Hotel, Dublin. A number of regional focus group meetings are also planned over the coming months.

The Action plan being published today contains a range of priority actions identified through the work of the Steering Group and engagement with stakeholders.

These actions are classified under four broad headings:

data collection and analysis
promotion of the teaching profession
higher education policy
policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher supply and demand

Actions include:

developing, with the support of the Government Information Service, a campaign to promote the teaching profession
the development of new four year undergraduate programmes to train post primary teachers and increased student numbers on postgraduate programmes in post primary priority subject areas
review of School Placement Guidelines
teachers on career breaks to be allowed for the 2018/19 school year to take up employment without a restriction, to support the supply of substitute teachers
development of a recruitment portal for teachers