Valuing teachers in the irish context: Lessons from london

Abstract

The contribution teachers make to quality educational systems is well established. Consequently, there has been a growing emphasis across many countries on attracting and retaining good teachers. There has been a crisis in attracting second level teachers to work in certain schools and areas in the United Kingdom. There are currently some concerns regarding teacher recruitment in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). This was a report and small-scale, qualitative study interviewing two Irish teachers who went to teach in a London school and their school Principal. The researcher sought to gain insight into the phenomenon of Irish teachers teaching in London and the challenges and rewards of this experience. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis techniques and the insights gained were discussed in the light of findings from previous research and the author’s international experience. The findings support that of larger studies. Teaching in the London school was found to be difficult and highly bureaucratic. This led to excessively long working hours, poor work/life balance and burn-out. The participants reported feeling supported and well mentored in the school but teaching was perceived as ‘easier’, more manageable and attractive in the RoI.