Clare’s ASTI representative insists a quicker response is needed from Government on the pay gap for teachers, as numbers entering the profession plummet.
New figures show there’s been a 60% drop in the numbers applying for teacher-training courses over the past five years, leading to a teacher shortage in subjects like european languages, Irish, Maths and Science.
The Education Minister says an additional 5,000 teachers have been hired since he was appointed, and has signalled that an announcement will soon be made on measures aimed at dealing with difficulties surrounding specific subjects.
Peter Quinn, who’s also a teacher at St Flannan’s College in Ennis, has said that while he doesn’t believe the education system is in crisis yet, steps urgently need to be taken to address the problem.
