The shortage of primary teachers resulted in parents supervising classes at a national school in Tullamore, Co Offaly, recently. The principal of Charleville National School, Ms Olga Farrell, said she was forced to ask two mothers to take classes a fortnight ago after attempts to obtain a substitute teacher failed.
One mother took a class for a day and the other for two days. Ms Farrell said the mothers supervised the children and corrected some of their work. Teachers advised them on how to handle a class, said Ms Farrell.
The school wants the Department of Education, Science and Technology to pay the two women, who had to supervise from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
"One of our teachers got sick at short notice and we could not get a substitute teacher anywhere. So we were forced to ask the parents to basically go and stand in front of the class for a day," said Ms Farrell. "It's not fair on the children that we are forced to have to do this, but children cannot wait and we have to get somebody to take their class."
Senator Joe O'Toole, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said: "This teacher shortage is caused by poor planning by the Department of Education and what is needed now is a radical and creative response."
The Department of Education recently confirmed that there were 1,500 unqualified teachers in the primary system. Some are understood to have only their Leaving Certificate.
Emmet Oliver can be contacted at eoliver@irish-times.ie