Almost every primary school in Ireland hire 'unqualified' teachers amid investigation

98% of Irish primary schools paid unqualified individuals to teach students in 2024, figures obtained by TG4 have revealed.

TG4's current affairs programme 7 LÁ says new figures obtained from the Department of Education under the Freedom of Information Act, show that 13,540 unqualified individuals were employed to teach in Irish schools in 2024.

The show will reveal that 98% of Irish primary schools (3,029) employed unqualified individuals in the 2023/2024 school year.
8,883 unqualified individuals were employed in primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.

The programme will also air that 65% of Irish post-primary schools (472) employed unqualified individuals in the 2023/2024 school year, meaning 4,657 unqualified individuals were employed in post-primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.

A total amount of 13,540 unqualified individuals were employed in 3,501 in Irish primary & post-primary schools in the 2023/2024 school year.

The data above is in respect of individuals or substitutes who worked in a teaching capacity in Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools. It does not include data from individuals who work in post primary ETB schools.

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Further to amendment of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 in the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), it enables a school in urgent or unforeseen circumstances to employ, for up to five consecutive days at a time, a person who is not registered as a teacher with the Teaching Council.

INTO General Secretary John Boyle issued a response to the figures obtained by TG4: “The INTO is deeply concerned by the revelation that a substantial number of unqualified substitutes had responsibility for curriculum delivery in primary and special schools during the 2023/24 school year. This is yet another stark reminder of the ongoing teacher shortage crisis, which continues to place enormous pressure on schools.

"The scale of this crisis demands an urgent, whole-of-government response. The INTO is calling for:

"An extra 300 places per year on initial teacher education courses each year until the crisis is overcome.
A national teacher supply commission to develop long-term solutions for teacher supply.

"An immediate response from government to the claims lodged by the union under the local bargaining process within the current public service agreement, as INTO’s claims for the restoration of teaching allowances, shortening of teachers’ pay scales and career progression opportunities are fully focussed on making teaching and school leadership more attractive here.

"A targeted international recruitment campaign to bring experienced Irish teacher’s home.

"Urgent action on housing, living costs, and working conditions to retain existing teachers.

"Unless the government acts now, more children will face disrupted learning, remaining teachers will have to carry an excessive burden, more school leaders will be pushed to breaking point, and the future of primary and special education in Ireland will be in serious jeopardy."

The ASTI said: "The data confirms that there is an unprecedented number of teacher vacancies in Irish schools. A key factor behind the teacher supply crisis in Ireland is that teaching is no longer seen as an attractive and sustainable career. Newly qualified teachers are struggling to get secure contracts and affordable accommodation. The salary scale for these teachers is excessively long. Second-level schools are under-resourced. Teachers face too-large class sizes and the resulting heavy workload. An overloading of new initiatives and programmes without adequate funding has damaged teacher morale".

In a statement from the Department of Education they say: "Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government.

"It is a legal requirement for a teacher to be registered with the Teaching Council to receive a salary paid by the State. To register, a teacher must have a recognised teaching qualification. If a qualified teacher is not registered for the route they are teaching but is qualified under another route, they may be paid the unqualified rate of pay, although they are a registered teacher.

"A person who is not registered teacher with the Teaching Council under any route may be employed under specific, limited circumstances, for up to five days".

You can watch the full 7 LÁ programme on TG4 at 8pm on Tuesday, March 25.