Teaching remains an attractive job, as the number of young people entering the profession each year shows. The problem is that it is currently more attractive in Dubai than in Dublin.
The latest survey by organisations representing primary teachers identifies a shortfall of 809 permanent, fixed-term and long-term substitute teachers in the 1,094 schools that responded. An additional 1,202 long-term vacancies are predicted within the next three months.
Two reasons for the shortage have been singled out by teacher organisations. One is the shortage of affordable accommodation in urban areas and the other is the allure of better paid teaching work abroad.
The Middle East and Australia are popular destinations for Irish teachers, with packages worth up to €70,000 a year reportedly on offer. This compares with a starting salary here of around €41,000 a year. It is quite a differential and that is before taking into account other factors such as tax and accommodation costs.
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In many ways the shortage of national school teachers is just another manifestation of the cost-of-living increases and housing shortages that confront all workers and appear intractable for the Government. Teachers would argue that the hollowing out of the profession between 2009 and 2013 – when allowances were withdrawn, and the promotional system changed – has compounded the problem.
They want to see something done in the next public service pay agreement, which is currently being negotiated. The question that arises is whether some sort of special measures that have been mooted, such as Dublin allowances for teachers, are justified.
It can be argued that our education system and its pipeline of well-qualified graduates and school leavers is one of our few competitive economic advantages. We undermine it at our peril. But is that sufficient reason to prefer teachers over other government employees who are struggling to make ends meet?