Press Releases

Teacher Induction

Thursday, 22 July 2010

Statement by Noel Ward, Deputy General Secretary, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation on Teacher Induction

The INTO said today that proposals announced by Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan would not provide adequate support to newly qualified teachers. The union said existing supports for many newly qualified teachers, developed over many years, were being “watered down” for delivery to every teacher in the country.

“The Minister is turning porridge into gruel,” said INTO deputy general secretary Noel Ward.

He said the proposals had little to do with reform and more to do with staffing cuts in the Department’s inspectorate and financial restraints than with developing an effective system of induction. “For the Minister to pretend that it is anything else is wrong,” said Mr Ward.

The INTO also said the Minister’s proposals do not take account of the pressures on newly qualified teachers. “Instead of providing meaningful supports like mentors in schools, locally based induction activities and reduced teaching time like in other countries, the Minister is expecting young teachers to travel long distances after school to courses. This fails to take account inadequate of non-existent public transport in most parts of the country and the financial realities of those starting work for the first time. These proposals will put further pressure on starting teachers,” said Mr Ward.

Mr Ward said the Minister was absolutely correct in saying that her Department has let new teachers down. He also said the Minister was correct in saying that effective arrangements for the induction and probation of newly qualified teachers can make a significant contribution to the quality of the teaching profession.

But he said these proposals do not meet that criteria. “For example, Scotland provides a 30 percent decrease in total teaching time for newly qualified teachers and 10 percent less teaching time for mentors in schools,” said Mr Ward. “We are going to give new teachers 20 hours in a year if they can get to a course in their own time.”

The INTO said if the Minister wanted to provide real and meaningful support to teachers then she should have extended the National Project on Teacher Induction to all newly qualified teachers.

Established in 2002, the programme provided many newly qualified teachers with 8 release days from class teaching with substitute cover to attend training courses or to work with a teacher mentor in school. Other activities included opportunities to visit other classrooms and observe more experienced teachers at work.  Teacher mentors had 4 days of substitute cover to work with a new teacher.

Last year over hundreds of newly qualified teachers were enrolled in the programme supported by more than 200 mentor teachers. Since its inception in 2002 thousands of newly qualified teachers received support under the scheme which received very positive evaluations.

The INTO said life-long professional development opportunities should be a right and an expectation for all teachers in Ireland.  “Nowhere is professional education more vital than in the early stages of a teacher's career,” said Mr Ward.  “Over a summer they move from being full time students responsible only for themselves. They assume full time, sole responsibility for a class of up to 35 children who look to the new teacher for everything.”

“Instead of a quality induction programme the Minister intends to provide the bare minimum,” said Mr Ward.