‘They are not abandoning Ireland – Ireland is abandoning them' – calls for secondary teachers to have years abroad recognised
Michael Gillespie, who was addressing the opening day of the union's annual congress held at White's of Wexford, said that other countries are offering 'better pay, conditions - and even better weather', while teachers here 'are facing job insecurity, excessive workload and low pay'.
'They [teachers working abroad] are not abandoning Ireland - Ireland is abandoning them,' he said.
One of the big talking points at this year's conference will be the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
Schools are experiencing ever-worsening difficulties filling vacancies, a problem exacerbated by the scarcity of affordable accommodation. One in five schools has dropped subjects, while just three per cent of school leaders believe the Government is doing enough to tackle the problem.
The TUI said it must be made easier for Irish teachers to return home from abroad.
Currently, secondary school teachers who work in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, China and Australia do not have their years recognised on the public sector pay scale when they come back to Ireland. However, primary school teachers do.
A motion will be tabled which calls for parity on the matter.
Mr Gillespie said an unsustainable workload is also driving teachers from the profession.
'Excessive workload and work intensification are breaking our profession,' he said.
'Across every sector of education, our members repeatedly raise the alarm: there is an ever-increasing workload and never enough time. When time disappears, work intensification takes its place—this spiral is unsustainable. And it is not just about paperwork. It is becoming a serious health and well-being crisis. Let us call it what it is: burnout and the burnout is real and impacting our profession.'
Mr Gillespie said teachers are being asked to carry out work that goes 'far beyond' contracted class contact time.
'We are accumulating a workload that is unfair, excessive, and quite frankly, unmanageable,' he said.
A recent study by DCU found that 42pc of teachers are likely to leave the profession due to 'crippling burnout'. Eighty-six per cent reported moderate to high levels of personal burnout.
The TUI general secretary said more needs to be done to attract people back to the profession.
Mr Gillespie said he welcomed the recent decision to allow teachers to gain permanent contracts one year earlier.
'Make no mistake delegates, this was a TUI suggestion. It is one of a number of suggestions we brought to the Government and while a positive move - it is not enough,' he told delegates.
TUI represents 20,500 teachers and lecturers in second level schools, further education and training colleges and centres, and Technological Universities/Institutes of Technology.
A recent survey by the union of 1,000 education professionals showed 80pc of veteran teachers believe they could not afford to enter the profession today because of income, contract, cost of living and workload issues.
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