Tipperary’s INTO rep says a teacher shortage, spurred on by Covid-related absences, is the worst he’s seen while tracking the issue since 2007.
More and more schools are finding it a challenge to source substitute teachers, due to the amount of staff who are out with the virus or waiting on test results.
A survey by the Irish National Teachers Organisation, carried out in the first half of this month, found close to 12,000 substitutable days were reported, with almost a third of those not covered.
Brendan Horan is Tipperary’s INTO rep and also Principal of Cahir Boys National School.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen and I’ve run a list since 2007. Normally you might hit pinch points in February and March, but unfortunately this year we have hit the crisis from September on, and it has continued.
“Everybody that is available to work is already working, but the crisis is even worse than other years.”
Brendan is urging public health authorities to reinstate contact tracing in schools, saying that the testing and tracing system in place in the last academic year worked well.
