As the housing crisis unfolds, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) president Joe McKeown comments that no recently qualified teacher is likely to be able to afford to buy a house in most parts of Ireland. He added that, for many, even rented accommodation is out of reach. As a result, he predicts that the housing crisis will trigger a new exodus of young teachers.
While it is not unusual for newly qualified Irish teaches to work abroad, the numbers emigrating hit significant levels in the austerity years after the banking crash, when lower pay scales were introduced for newly qualified teachers.
As it stands, McKeown said young teachers would seek out destinations where “their reasonable aspirations are more likely to be realised. “Who will teach our children then?” he asked in his opening address to the union’s annual conference. “Having a roof over your head is a fundamental right for all citizens in a republic. Owning the roof over your head should not be an impossible dream for the vast majority of citizens,” he said.
Large outflows, especially to the Middle East, contribute to serious staffing shortages at home. But as two-tier pay scales become a thing of the past, the INTO leader is warning that the housing crisis is a new threat to teacher supply.
The arrival of thousands of Ukrainian pupils is also creating demand for more teachers. While Education Minister Norma Foley has promised that the necessary resources will be provided, schools are asking, “Where will we find the teachers?”