Page 27 - ELG2207 Jul Issue 481

FEATURES

demonstrating a highly skilled, internationally Concerning types of payment received, of medical insurance at all. These are areas
experienced cohort. the majority were paid an hourly wage. The that need attention if the sector is to be truly
Regarding qualifications, the most common lowest specified rate was €10 (below the legal considered a profession for its teachers, given
undergraduate degree was not a BA in ELT, minimum wage for an adult worker of €10.50) the pandemic and dominant middle-aged
but a BA in English Language and Literature, and the highest €28, with an average €20.30 demographic who responded.
with a diverse range of disciplines listing per hour for face-to face contact teaching. Accommodation questions raised serious
more than half of recorded responses under Only 12 respondents recorded annual concern. Fewer than 17% of teachers recorded
‘Other’ qualifications. The lack of available salaries, from €15,000 to €40,000, with an ‘yes’ to having a mortgage on their own home,
undergraduate and postgraduate courses average of €26,860 per annum. There was with nearly 84% stating they did not, and
specifically catering for the practical needs difficulty in ascertaining any kind of consistent nearly 60% living in rented accommodation.
of ELT has been identified as a potential pattern between payment and level of seniority, This is highly consistent with previous survey
contributing factor in diminishing the career years of teaching experience, qualifications findings, making Irish-based ELT teachers
viability of Irish ELT for its teachers. While held, duties and days, times of day and number 2.5 times more likely to be doing so than the
over 70% of respondents were qualified to of hours worked, with little evidence of any general population, and is a major cause for
postgraduate level, more than 80% stated either consistent incremental pay-scale among this concern in terms of the direct link between
not having or not knowing of the availability cohort, reinforcing the UNITE ELT Branch precarity and not having a permanent address
of a postgraduate course in ELT/ESOL on description of “anarchic pay structures” or access to home ownership.
completion of their undergraduate course in throughout the industry. Only 7% were paid Finally, when teacher attitudes to ELT were
their institution, or having access to one in for lesson preparation or correction, and 5% investigated, 78% of teacher respondents
some way. These results suggest a talented for exam correction and preparation, despite viewed ELT as a profession and elaborated
cohort from rich, varied subject backgrounds, the regular extra time this requires. giving positive reasons why, while almost 90%
but raise questions as to why so few of these ELT An average holiday time calculated as 20.16 of respondents saw themselves as professionals
teachers availed of or had access to a specific paid days was enjoyed by most respondents, the and identified as such within the Irish ELT
ELT undergraduate or postgraduate course to minimum provided for in Irish work legislation industry.
enhance their academic repertoire. Also, 81% (8% of worked hours in the annual leave year).
of respondents had personally funded their own However, where sick pay and force majeure These teachers
course. Only 13% of respondents were aware were concerned, the scenario was different:
that course fees would be fully covered by their Irish employees do not enjoy automatic legal identify themselves as
employer, while 29% stated partial-funding entitlement to either. Only 17% were granted
availability, yet almost 35% were not aware paid sick days, almost all recorded between 3-5 professionals within
of what kind of funding their employer would days. The lack of provision in many schools
provide for courses at all. for both sick pay and force majeure has been a community
Over half had attended one to two workshops consistently raised by ELT teacher advocacy of practice
or conferences during the previous year, groups. Until June 2021, Irish employment
the majority specifying it had been for their law stated employees must receive written
professional development. Despite employer information about their workplace sick leave This is most encouraging. Despite appallingly
requirement to attend reported by the majority, policy, but left paid sick leave entirely at the poor working conditions officially recorded
just over 53% had been paid for so doing, discretion of employers. Lack of statutory among many Irish ELT teachers elsewhere,
while nearly 47% received neither payment sick pay was identified as a disincentivising combined with the many challenges faced
nor expenses for attendance at conferences or factor for employees who might be displaying by the cohort in this study, it demonstrates
workshops that were not at their workplace. symptoms of Covid-19 from taking sick leave empowerment and high self-esteem among
Nearly a fifth reported not knowing whether during the pandemic, and roundly criticised by the majority of respondents, and a sense of
they were entitled to be paid or receive the National Public Health Emergency Team self-assuredness in terms of their professional
expenses for such attendance, certainly an area (NPHET). At time of writing, legislation has identity. These teachers identify themselves as
which needs addressing if schools are to retain been introduced, the Sick Leave and Parental professionals within a community of practice,
highly qualified, cutting-edge teachers. Leave (Covid-19) Bill 2020, to bring statutory as they share the same sets of concerns and
Basic resources to carry out teaching duties sick pay into law in Ireland in September 2022. problems in their day-to-day experiences,
were recorded as adequate, but respondents Force majeure, however, defined as “limited are dedicated to their work and take it very
voiced concerns regarding inadequate leave from work following a family crisis”, was seriously. To this end, teachers must be
technology at a number of schools, suggesting largely denied these respondents, with only directly included in and represented at all
a lag behind in the technological delivery of 12.5% reporting entitlement. The remainder government-level negotiations concerning
their pedagogy. Given the overnight pandemic stated either having no entitlement or no post-Covid recovery plans for the sector.
shift to the virtual classroom environment, knowledge of such at their school, with only Continued exclusion of their voices indicates
and subsequent upheaval experienced by one knowing of three days’ force majeure disrespect from both government and other
many schools and their teacher and student clearly stated in their contract. This is an area industry stakeholders. In addition, it raises an
populations, this clearly demonstrates a need that needs attention and it is imperative that integral question on stakeholder status, who it
for school owners and management to use their standardisation be considered across the entire includes and what it is to be a stakeholder in
teachers’ observations as a source of feedback industry going forward. the Irish ELT industry, consistent with Unite
on lesson delivery and updating resources. On pension and medical insurance status, ELT Branch findings that “first, we need
81% of these teachers had no pension plan proper regulation and recognition of teachers
There was difficulty whatsoever, more than one and a half times as stakeholders” in Ireland.

in ascertaining any kind the national average of 48% of working adults
found to have made no provision for one, and
of consistent pattern firmly positioned Irish ELT schools among Deborah Tobin is a
the 75% of national employers who do not
between payment and provide company pensions. Twenty-three out Year 4 PhD candidate
in Applied Linguistics at
of 62 respondents stated they had their own
level of seniority private medical insurance, yet only two had Mary Immaculate College,
the benefit of their school contributing to Limerick.
this, while nearly 60% stated they had no form
editorial@elgazette.com 27