The Ulster Unionist Party’s South Belfast MLA Michael McGimpsey has accused the Departments of Education and Employment & Learning of failing the hundreds of newly qualified teachers who are unable to find jobs when they qualify from teacher training colleges.
Mr McGimpsey said;
"At Assembly Questions this week I asked the Education Minister how many new teachers had managed to find permanent jobs. In his response he said that of 639 teaching graduates who have qualified since April 2012, 484 were registered and only 25 have secured permanent posts.
That is five per cent and a clear indication that both the Department of Education and the Department for Employment & Learning are failing students. They have not put in place proper procedures or support for newly qualified teachers to obtain full time teaching posts.
This is a very poor way to start a career path. John O’Dowd is the Education Minister and he needs to do more than shrug his shoulders. It is immoral to ask newly qualified teachers start working life on the dole.
The Minister needs to bring forward proposals urgently to ensure these young teachers can be put to work teaching the next generation.”