The Department of Education should move immediately to allow Montessori and post-primary teachers to teach in primary schools and help ease the crisis over the shortage of qualified staff, the primary teachers' union said last night, writes Sean Flynn.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) believes the Department should adopt a "flexible" approach to the Irish language qualification required by primary teachers and allow such teachers begin primary teaching.
The INTO makes its demand amid signs that the crisis over the shortage of qualified primary teachers is deepening. The Department has said there are more than 1,200 unqualified teachers working in primary schools in the State.