INTIMIDATION, VERBAL abuse and the use or possession of drugs and alcohol are common problems in Irish second-level schools, according to an international survey of teaching conditions by the OECD.
Over 36 per cent of Irish lower second-level teachers said intimidation or verbal abuse of other students hindered instruction in their school, and 18 per cent of teachers said intimidation and verbal abuse of teachers was a problem, the survey found.
Some 15 per cent of teachers surveyed reported drugs and/or alcohol as a problem in the classroom while less than 5 per cent reported problems with theft and physical injury to other students.
The findings appear in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (Talis), a project of the OECD aimed at helping countries develop policies to make the teaching profession more attractive and effective.
In Ireland, the Educational Research Centre surveyed more than 2,200 teachers.
Absenteeism, poor preparation and arriving late are also considerable problems among teachers. Over 40 per cent of teachers’ principals reported absenteeism as hindering instruction, while lack of preparation was reported as a problem by 30 per cent of teachers.
The resource issue considered by most principal teachers to be hindering instruction was a shortage of laboratory technicians, reported in 83 per cent of Irish schools. Two-thirds of principals reported a shortage of instructional support staff, computers or library materials.
According to the survey, almost 60 per cent of Irish teachers work in schools where no internal or external evaluation had been conducted in the previous five years. This compares to an international average of 20 per cent.
Over 43 per cent of Irish teachers say they never get feedback or an appraisal from their principal, and 52 per cent say they never get appraisal or feedback from other teachers or the school management.
The report says the ratio of teachers to support staff in Ireland is 16:1, compared to an average of 13:1 for the 24 countries in the survey.
The report found that almost 90 per cent of Irish teachers had undertaken some form of professional development in the previous 18 months. However the average number of days spent by Irish teachers on professional development was under six a year, compared to a survey average of 15.
An international report on second-level education shows once again that the Irish second-level education service is performing well.
Second-level teachers’ union ASTI said Irish teachers came out well in the report.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said the report highlighted how the commitment of teachers to continuing professional development was not matched by the Department of Education.
