WE read a lot about money being spent on recruiting new teachers. While applauding such initiatives, little is being done about retaining recently-qualified teachers.
Many teachers entering the profession within the past few years must be grossly disillusioned. With the grant system discontinued, they have been forced to take out student loans to pay their way.
Now they find they cannot yet qualify for the threshol payments but qualified too soon for a “golden hello”.
Surely some recognition must be made of those teachers who have not only worked so hard to enter the profession but have stayed the course and are still paying off their student loans?
Could the Government find a way of rewarding those who made such sacrifices, by setting aside sufficient money to settle those loans?
M Anderson Address supplied
