Stress and burnout fuelling teacher retention crisis, says Birr’s Michael Gillespie

Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of the TUI and a former teacher of Physics, Science and Maths at St Brendan’s Community School in Birr, has said that stress and burnout are two of the leading causes of the teacher retention crisis.

The Teachers of Ireland Survey 2026 by schooldays.ie has revealed growing concerns about workload, resources, and whether teachers’ voices are being heard by policymakers.

The survey garnered responses from over 1,800 teachers across Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Special Education, with over 75% report going above and beyond their contracted hours every day.

A total of 1,838 responses were received to the question of whether teachers feel their voices are heard by government and policymakers.

"We are in the midst of a teacher recruitment and retention crisis, with many choosing to leave the profession for employment where they feel better valued and where workload is more sustainable. In too many cases, stress and burnout are driving these highly qualified graduates away," said Mr Gillespie.

“To ensure that the profession is a viable career option, contracts for full hours must be offered at the commencement of employment, and teachers must have access to enhanced career progression opportunities. We are also advocating for the two-year PME required to teach at second level to be reduced to one year to lower the cost of entry to the profession.”

Other issues raised in the survey included concerns over the move towards continuous assessment, with over 47% of respondents saying they are waiting to see how it will work in practice.

"Clearly, significant additional resourcing is key to ensuring that all second-level schools have access to the facilities required to provide a level playing field in terms of continuous assessment components (CCAs). No student should lose out under the new system," said Mr Gillespie.

"For too long, Ireland’s spending on education as a proportion of GDP has been unacceptably low compared to other countries. We must also ensure that the integrity of the Leaving Certificate is upheld and that the redeveloped Senior Cycle does not increase pressure on students or teachers’ workload.”

Professor Paul Downes, Professor of Education at Dublin City University, added that the Irish education system "is the envy of most countries internationally".

"This is in no small part due to the quality and commitment of Irish teachers. However, there is no room for complacency given the myriad pressures and demands facing teachers in increasingly complex school and societal contexts. Concerns regarding school infrastructure must also be addressed."