"2,000 [well, 330] new teaching jobs as pupil numbers soar"

Dionysus

If you go to Morning Ireland this morning at 07.15am you'll hear John Walsh talking with John Murray about his article in this morning's Irish Independent.

Apparently, 'Of the 1,080 new posts coming on stream this September, 600 will be in primary and 330 in second-level. A further 150 have yet to be designated.'

and 'The enrolment rise next year will be even greater and last night sources said a further 1,000 teachers -- if not more -- would be needed to cope with the huge increases.'


Walsh was saying that there's currently 15% unemployment among the PGDE class of 2008, but only around 5% for primary school teachers. But he defines unemployment as those who have no job whatsoever so those on part-time hours etc appear to be excluded. In number terms, does anybody know how many unemployed secondary school teachers there currently are?

The DES confirmed to Morning Ireland that the money (€40 million) has been allocated to this September's recruitment.

Do you think things are looking up for secondary school teachers who are still looking for a job?

spurious

330 new jobs at second level - among 700+ second level schools.

Rosita

I find the figure of only 15 per cent unemployment among the 2008 PGDE group difficult to accept if the anecdotal evidence is to be believed. You'd wonder what kind of employment they are in.

But are things looking up for teachers? Well, yes, things certainly seem better than they did last week before this news. These things are relative of course and it's easy to put it "in perspective" and so on, but if the figures can be believed and are not merely a bluff to help sweeten the Croke Park agreement it does suggest that somewhere in official Ireland - despite all the stuff about balancing the books and "nothing is safe"/"we are where we are" -there is a some modicum of regard for the practical requirements of running the education service.

As a new entrant if I was told that jobs were not going to be cut I'd have been happy. But I'm delighted with this news. At least it's moving in the right direction.

Colm McCarthy will go berserk.

byhookorbycrook

This is not a "sweetner", the PTR still remains at the high level it was, more children in schools means we need more teachers, but our class sizes still remain huge.

Powerhouse

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

This is not a "sweetner", the PTR still remains at the high level it was, more children in schools means we need more teachers, but our class sizes still remain huge.

On the contrary, I would say it has all the hallmarks of a political sweetner - classic timing of the leak to the newspapers just as public sector unions are balloting on the Croke Park agreement, while not really changing anything on the ground.

A political sweetner by definition is not designed to change anything. It is merely a mechanism to help the medicine go down.

It might influence many teachers into thinking that they have finally risen to challenge drug-dealers and pimps in the social respect pecking order as ordained by the formal media and discussion boards such as this in recent months.

And in fairness to the report it makes no claim for a reduction in class sizes.

gagiteebo

All I know is that this time last year there were no jobs advertised for my subjects (French, German and Irish) and I mean none...it was October before I found antything and this was after I went over to London to try and find work there! However, this year I have already applied for at least 10 jobs and it's only May so I would say things are definitely looking up and I'm much more positive than I was last year!

rainbowtrout

spurious wrote: »

330 new jobs at second level - among 700+ second level schools.

Not to mind the fact that the 'new jobs' which equates to 0.5 teachers per school on average will just be absorbed into current staffing in most schools. An increase in 1 or 2 hours for existing part time staff. Not many extra people will be employed because of it.

gaeilgegrinds1

Our principal seems to think it'll make no difference, said it might bring some of the staff up to 3/4 hours, as half of ours are on half hours. Not impressed I must say.

rainbowtrout

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

Our principal seems to think it'll make no difference, said it might bring some of the staff up to 3/4 hours, as half of ours are on half hours. Not impressed I must say.

Won't make much difference to us either, we're losing 2-3 teachers.

drusk

These 330 new jobs are unlikely to make much of an impact. However, there are gonna be a LOT of retirements because there is a fear among older teachers and principals that the pension/lump sum will face major cuts within the next year.

I have a feeling that this year and next year will be particularly good years for recent graduates, in comparison to last year and the years ahead.