Almost 10 per cent of teachers in disadvantaged primary schools leave each year because of the pressure in their jobs, a new survey has found.
The survey by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation of 157 such schools found that most had to hire unqualified teachers to fill the resulting staffing gaps.
The union discovered that in the schools surveyed, the number of teachers departing had risen from 210 in 1999/2000 to 274 in 2001/2002. In the last three years 721 primary teachers had left the schools surveyed.
However, the union found that certain Government schemes helped to stabilise the situation.
For example, schools that have become part of the Early Start or Breaking the Cycle schemes experienced a 10 per cent drop in teacher turnover.
Nationally, about 3 per cent of primary teachers are unqualified, but in disadvantaged primary schools the figure rises to 10 per cent.
The general secretary of the INTO, Mr John Carr, said: "It is clear from these figures that the crisis in teacher supply is affecting disadvantaged schools disproportionately."
The union said the size of classes in disadvantaged schools was one of the factors driving qualified teachers away. It said the Department of Education should ensure that no class in a disadvantaged area had more than 20 pupils.
"There is also a need to increase ancillary services to these schools so that each classroom has a qualified classroom assistant. Each school must also have a full-time secretary and caretaker," said Mr Carr.
The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, recently said he would be prepared to consider increased allowances for teachers in such schools.
He also said he would consider the idea of teachers getting a career break or sabbatical every few years.
While these measure would be popular with some teachers, there has been a general reluctance to changes in the traditional "common basic scale" that governs teachers' salaries. This means that teachers, regardless of their circumstances, get paid the same basic rate.
Mr Carr said a fairer level of staffing in schools was also needed.