LOUTH:A shortage of language teachers has forced Louth VEC to advertise for staff overseas, and its chief executive Dr Pádraig Kirk has warned that, without action to secure teachers in the future, "the quality of learning in schools could be compromised".
The news comes just weeks after the Irish vice-president of PayPal said the company cannot fill all of its Dundalk-based jobs from within the Irish workforce because of the lack of a second language.
The VEC said it is experiencing “significant difficulties” in recruiting fully qualified teachers and “particularly language teachers”. The VEC recently advertised for Irish teaching positions but had no fully qualified applicants and when it advertised a second time it received “a very small number of applications”.
Dr Kirk said that the Department of Education and Skills and relevant third-level institutions need to work together to guarantee an adequate supply of teachers at post-primary level to serve the future needs of schools.
Other subject areas also experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers included home economics, art and materials technology.
Similar situations are also being experienced in some specialised post-Leaving Certificate subject areas such as dentistry, animal care and pharmacy.