Funded by the European Union via the Structural Reform Support Programme and implemented by European Schoolnet in cooperation with the European Commission This report is an output of the project “Implementing an effective induction system for novice teachers in Flanders” funded by the EU through the Structural Reform Support Programme (REFORM/GA2020/013). Remote study visit: Induction of beginning teachers in Ireland 26/01/2021 – 02/02/2021: Background information January 2021
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Funded by the European Union via the
Structural Reform Support Programme and implemented by European Schoolnet in
cooperation with the European Commission
This report is an output of the project “Implementing an effective induction system for novice teachers in Flanders” funded by the EU through the Structural Reform Support Programme (REFORM/GA2020/013).
Governance of induction ...................................................................................................................................... 9
More information ................................................................................................................................................. 9
2. Induction of beginning teachers in Ireland ................................................................................. 10
This document is part of a project funded by the European Union through the Structural Reform Support
Programme and implemented by European Schoolnet in co-operation with the European Commission
(contract REFORM/GA2020/013).
The content of this report does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for
the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s).
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Context The Flemish authorities receive technical support through the EU's Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) to develop coherent support for beginning teachers and to give guidance to Flemish schools on how to set up such induction schemes. The project, which was launched in June 2020 and runs until the end of 2022, draws on expertise from across Flanders and Europe. The Flemish Department of Education and Training will work with Flemish stakeholder organisations to jointly draw up system-wide guidelines and training plans for schools. These new tools will be piloted in a number of Flemish schools in the school year 2021/22. The project is implemented by European Schoolnet, a network of 31 education ministries with support from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Structural Reform Support.
Objectives of the project
In Flanders, only 87% of beginning teachers are still teaching after 5 years. Among those with the highest qualification levels, more than one in five drop out during that phase. This puts a strain on the education system and reinforces already existing teacher shortages.
The Flemish Community of Belgium has recently made it compulsory for schools to offer induction to their newly qualified teachers. The purpose is to tackle teacher drop-out through improved early career support, better job security and more stable career prospects. The project therefore aims to develop and pilot an evidence-informed framework and guidelines for teacher induction in Flemish schools. The framework is expected to build the competences and professionalism of early career teachers, contribute to reducing teacher shortages and attrition, and strengthen career-long teacher education. In a first phase of the project, the project seeks to provide the authorities with an understanding of policy options for the governance and implementation of induction for novice teachers. In a second step, a new framework for early career teacher induction supported by implementation guidelines will be rolled out after testing in schools as an integral part of the career-long teacher education. The support to be provided for beginning teacher induction guidance aims to: (1) reinforce induction in schools and schools clusters1, (2) embed it in their human resources policy and professional development plan, (3) engage their pedagogical guidance services (PBD/pedagogische begeleidingsdienst) and initial teacher education (ITE) providers in order to increase their coherence and structural cooperation in the area, and (4) gather evidence on how to systemically improve government policy and monitoring in the area.
1 School clusters are the grouping of schools within the same geographical location, for economic, pedagogic, administrative and political purposes (Bray, 1987)
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All the above will be fully aligned with the constitutional autonomy and freedom for educational providers
at the core of the Flemish education system, which requires specific attention to be dedicated to the
governance aspects and their implementation processes.
Based on the lessons learnt from previous unsuccessful attempts to introduce induction across the
education system, the present project focuses on the design of a policy framework for induction which is
tailored to the Flemish system and its multi-level governance. Special consideration will be given to
induction as part of the professional continuum from initial teacher education to continuous professional
development. The importance of designing the induction guidance is key to align with the Flemish
government objectives of retaining teachers in all schools and address teacher shortage.
About the study visit The remote study visit to Ireland takes place between the 26th of January and the 2nd of February 2021. It
will be part of the initial, analytical phase of the project phase and its results will help develop policy
options for the governance and implementation of induction for novice teachers in Flanders. This
document aims to provide all participants, both the ‘visiting’ delegation of Flemish stakeholders and the
experts from Ireland, with a basic understanding of induction systems, policies and practice in Flanders
and Ireland.
This study visit will enable the Flemish authorities and selected stakeholders to understand the challenges
and needs on the ground to ensure the effective implementation of the programmes and measures for a
successful provision of support to novice teachers. In addition, it will offer the Flemish participants the
opportunity to learn about policy and practice in Ireland, and to contrast and compare with challenges
faced by Flanders, with a view to informing policy options in the Flemish context. The results of the visit
will feed into the next project phase when the Flemish Department and educational stakeholders will co-
construct a draft Framework for induction and related guidelines.
The visit will encourage a constructive and open atmosphere of dialogue, knowledge sharing and peer
learning. The programme of the study visit offers a variety of formats including presentations, workshops,
Q&As and ample time and space for exchanges and discussions. All participants are expected to actively
participate throughout the programme and fully engage to the planned activities.
The Flemish Department of Education and Training, European Schoolnet and the European Commission
would like to thank all the experts from Ireland for their availability, openness, and willingness to share
their expertise and experience.
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1. Questions from the Flemish Department of Education and Training Teacher supply
1. How serious is the teacher supply situation in Ireland? 2. What measures have been taken to persuade more people to train to be a teacher? 3. Is there any evidence they have been successful? 4. Are there any pressures to change ITE, e.g., programmes, tutor competence development,
balance between theory and practice, partnerships with schools? 5. Are there concerns about the mix of teachers coming into the profession, e.g., men/women,
ethnicity, quality in terms of academic achievement? If so, what remedial actions are taken? Early career drop out
6. Do you have data on teacher drop out in the first five years? 7. Are there differences between types, characteristics, and location of school in dropout rates? 8. Do you have any information who leaves and why, e.g., praxis shock, stress, relationships, school
culture, job insecurity? Teacher retention
9. What factors influence teacher retention? 10. To what extent does the National Induction Programme for Teachers aim to reduce early career
teacher attrition? 11. If so, is there any evidence that it is working?
Early career teacher induction
1. How does school autonomy affect the induction of novice teachers? a. What are the similarities and differences between the two countries as regards school
autonomy? 2. Is there a competence framework for teachers?
a. Is there a specific one on entry to the profession/beginning teachers? b. How are beginning and serving teachers assessed?
3. What are the different routes into teaching? 4. How did previous induction schemes (before Droichead) work?
a. Why did they (not) succeed? Lessons learnt? 5. Is there cooperation between schools or other organisations regarding the organisation of teacher
induction
6. Is the Droichead embedded in the organization of subsequent professional learning for the next
phase of the career of the teacher? Or will this be the case in the future?
The Droichead (‘bridge’) scheme
7. The Droichead (‘bridge’) scheme is based on a whole-school approach. Why is this? What alternatives were considered and why were they rejected?
8. Who are the stakeholders in the scheme and what is their role? a. What is the role of the National Induction Programme for Teachers? b. What is the role of the inspectorate? c. How do Education Support Centres align with the NIPT, e.g. how is induction related to
continuing professional development?
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d. How are mentors selected, rewarded, and trained? e. What is the role of ITE providers in induction? f. What is the role of School Professional Support Teams?
9. Who is involved in the governance of the scheme? a. At which moment in the planning and implementation of the scheme have the different
stakeholders been involved in the process? b. How have the respective roles and responsibilities been defined? c. Have there been incentives for being part of the governance, and which ones? d. What have been the mechanisms implemented for the governance to be put in practice? e. What have been the obstacles encountered in the implementation of the governance
process? How have they been overcome?
f. What have been the key success factors for the governance to work efficiently and
sustainably? Are there issues still to be addressed, and which ones?
10. What has been the communication strategy and campaign designed to promote the Droichead? a. How was it designed (who contributed to the design)? b. Have there been strategic concerns influencing the design and/or core wording of the
scheme? c. Which professional groups (beginning teachers, school leaders, teachers, inspectors, etc.
possibly parents) were targeted, and how? d. What have been the key success factors of the promotion campaign? What would have
designed/done differently (if any)? 11. Can you give us an idea of the costs of implementing induction scheme? Who contributes towards
these costs? 12. What is the reaction to the Droichead (‘bridge’) scheme of…?
a. school leaders b. teachers c. support organisations d. novice teachers e. teacher unions and associations f. the public g. political parties
13. In evaluations of the scheme… h. What successes were noted? i. what problems were identified (e.g. lack of time, workload, incentives)? j. What changes have been made as a result?
14. How do you see the scheme developing in the next five years? a. Post-Covid b. Extensions, e.g., promoting more innovative pedagogies, more team teaching, more peer
Despite the potential attraction of working in a high-performing education system, prospective teachers
are not interested in training to become a teacher in sufficient numbers. By 2024, Flanders estimates that
as many as 7,800 new teachers will be needed annually (European Commission, 2019). The recruitment
requirement will be as much as 28% higher in 2023-2024 compared to the 2017-2018 school year, and
greater in secondary education (Departement Onderwijs en Vorming, 2019). This requirement is in part a
consequence of the retirement of teachers from the ‘baby boom’ generation: 30% of teachers at all levels
are over 50 (20% in lower secondary schools), which is less critical compared to other countries (OECD
mean 34%). The Flemish Community of Belgium will therefore have to renew about one out of five
members of its teaching workforce over the next decade or so (OECD, 2019). The Flemish Public
Employment Service (VDAB) has formally added teachers to its list of bottleneck professions.
Recruiting ‘new blood’ for the teaching profession begins with attracting potential recruits. Teaching as a
career in Flanders is not however attracting sufficient numbers, particularly to teach in lower and upper
secondary schools (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2018) and this is partly due to public
perceptions of teaching. Only 26% of Flemish lower secondary school teachers feel their profession is
valued, down from 46% five years previously (OECD, 2019).
Those who choose the teaching profession are the more academically able students (Tierens and Smet,
2015). At present the examination requirement threshold in language and mathematics for entry into
teacher education is not compulsory. It is not known whether raising the bar for entry qualifications of
entrants into ITE could impact on the likelihood or not of dropping out in the early years of teaching.
Induction schemes
In Flanders, early career teachers are given a temporary position for one school year, after which
individual school boards have the power to decide whether to continue or terminate the appointment.
After two school years and a positive assessment, the teacher reaches the second stage in their career: a
temporary appointment of continuous duration (Tijdelijke aanstelling van doorlopende duur, or TADD),
i.e., a tenure-track position.
48% of lower secondary teachers in Flanders report (OECD, 2019) having participated in formal or informal
induction when they joined their current school (i.e., at all stages of their career, not just on entry),
compared to 42% of teachers across OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS.
A decree published in 2019 (Onderwijs Vlaanderen, 2019) is a response to the drop out of highly
motivated, well-qualified teachers. It notes that even though organising induction was not mandatory
prior to 2019, many schools already had some form of initial guidance. TALIS 2018 results show that,
according to school leaders, half of primary school teachers have access to formal initial guidance,
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organised for all new teachers in the school. Most Flemish primary school teachers (87.2%) have access
to informal initial guidance activities in the school. Initial guidance is even more established in the first
stage of secondary education. Compared to other countries, Flanders has a relatively high proportion of
schools that provide access to (particularly informal) initial guidance. The answers of the teachers present
a somewhat different picture, but this might be due to older teachers who have experienced a period in
which induction was less common. Of the Flemish teachers 15.7% participated in formal initial guidance
programmes at their current school and 14.2% during their first employment. Compared to other
countries, Flemish primary school teachers participate less, and Flemish first stage secondary school
teachers more, in the initial requirements than teachers in other countries (Van Droogenbroeck, 2019).
The Decree states that the most common initial guidance activities are planned formal meetings and
supervisions with the school leader and/or (experienced) teachers. Participation in courses or seminars is
the third most common initial guidance activity followed by collaboration with other new teachers and an
administrative introduction.
The collective negotiation agreement of 2018 provides school boards2 with, from school year 2019-20,
additional annual funding and resources to help them organise mandatory induction in primary and
secondary education. Additionally, from the 2020-21 school year onwards, a school must include a section
on teacher induction in its professional development plan. A temporary member of staff appointed for a
fixed term must now receive and follow the necessary initial guidance. The duration and intensity of the
initial guidance is determined by mutual agreement between the staff member and the initial evaluator
and should be stipulated in a written agreement or job description. If the initial assessor considers that
the staff member is not yet eligible for a continuous temporary assignment, the initial assessor may give
the staff member an assessment, identifying their strengths and weaknesses they need to develop further.
If the teacher is reinstated to the same office, an appropriate initial guidance pathway shall be established
in accordance with the assessment’s findings, to be taken up by the staff member during that additional
period.
The 2019 decree includes a collective labour agreement (CAO XI) to strengthen the job security of starting
teachers and to bring more stability to their educational career. Among its new provisions (which include
improved job security for temporary members of staff and appraisal of all teachers every four years), it
makes initial guidance or mentoring for beginning teachers a right and mandatory (within the
constitutional autonomy of the school) beginning in the 2019-20 school year. 26 million euros have been
allocated for schools to integrate beginning teacher induction into their professional development plan,
with funding directed annually to the institution (Onderwijs Vlaanderen, 2019).
The content of the induction (or initial guidance, ‘aanvangsbegeleiding’) and how it is organised and
developed is the responsibility of the school board. The school is expected to appoint a lead evaluator
2 Flanders school governing boards hold the responsibility over one or more schools. They have a wide autonomy and can decide freely on their teaching methods; philosophy of life; curricula; timetables and staff appointments. The government sets conditions only for the recognition of a school and granting financing.
Many aspects of the administration of the Irish education system are centralised in the Department of
Education and Science. The Department sets the general regulations for the recognition of schools (of
which there are some 3500 primary and 729 post-primary), prescribes curricula, establishes regulations
for the management, resourcing and staffing of schools, and centrally negotiates teachers’ salary scales.
However, in recent years the Department has undertaken a programme of restructuring which aims to
delegate functions to external agencies (e.g., State Examinations Commission) and establish a network of
regional offices. This will allow the Department to focus on policy issues and to meet the challenges and
expectations for education into the future3.
In September 2020, some 1,000 primary and 1,080 additional second-level teachers were estimated to be
needed in Ireland, languages and science subjects having the most acute shortages. In addition, substitute
teachers are needed to cover for teacher absences, for example, maternity and paternity leave, sick leave,
and principals’ leadership days. In recent years, despite the overall number of students entering teacher
training remaining high, there has been a notable decline in the availability of substitute teachers.
There are many possible explanations for the reduced number of substitute teachers, including population
growth, tighter regulation of substitute teachers, economic factors (e.g. increases in rents and house
prices, young teachers emigrating), pupil/teacher ratio improvements, retirement trends, and certain
school types having difficulty accessing suitably qualified substitute teachers, including Gaelscoileanna
and schools in Gaeltacht areas, special schools, island schools and schools situated in remote locations.
Principals of one-teacher schools have also reported that substitute teachers are not attracted to their
schools, given the onerous responsibilities attached to the role.4
In Ireland, the key factors that affect teacher supply and demand are pupil demographics (at post primary
level enrolments will increase by 40,000 to 2024); career opportunities (more positions created,
opportunities in other jurisdictions, opportunities to work in other sectors); and policy development. The
latter includes new models for the allocation of teachers designed to meet the needs of pupils with special
educational needs and allocations to support the most disadvantaged learners; curriculum reform at all
levels, including the introduction of new subject specialisms; new approaches to pedagogy through
embedding of digital technologies and increased focus to support leadership in schools. Other policy
developments include changes in the duration of initial teacher education programmes and an increased
demand for job sharing and career breaks and the introduction of new or enhanced statutory leave.5
3 https://www.education.ie/en/publications/education-reports/a-brief-description-of-the-irish-education-system.pdf 4 https://www.ippn.ie/images/Final_IPPN-Submission_SubstituteTeacherShortage21Feb2018.pdf 5 Developing a Teacher Demand and Supply Model for Ireland 2020 – 2036 A Technical Report
there were 4,700 attendees at 395 events. NIPT reaches NQTs through schools, while the Teaching Council
communicates directly to NQTs.
NIPT supports PST through school training and professional development sessions, phone and email
contact and advisory school visits to PST members and school management about the Droichead process.
One unintended consequence of membership of a school PST and thereby receiving training is promotion,
often to head teacher, and so those in PST are now required to commit to three years’ membership.
Several mechanisms are in place to assure the quality and consistency of the Droichead process8. Quality
is based on standards designed to support, not to be met (‘progress not perfection’ is the watchword).
The Droichead Quality Assurance (DQA) panel quality assures the Droichead process, undertaking annual
reviews at national level to promote and develop a shared understanding across schools about what works
well and considering requests from NQTs for their Droichead process to be reviewed. Consistency across
schools is achieved through NIPT’s consistent provision, policy standards, consistent training, and
consistent messaging in cluster meetings.
Substantial resources have been invested in Droichead. Release time, with substitute cover, is
automatically provided for school-based induction in schools providing the Droichead process and is
calculated according to set formulae. Substitution as per DES guidelines is also available to train and up-
skill PST members.
Droichead has been evaluated both formally and informally. At the beginning of the scheme, in 2013,
INTO, the largest Irish teachers’ union had reservations, arguing that newly qualified teachers should be
externally evaluated by a panel of external teachers or principals rather than the experienced teachers in
the school and that the system should be “properly resourced, funded and remunerated”.9 The pilot
Droichead scheme was reviewed in March 201610 and found that an arrangement in which one colleague
evaluates another did not work (giving rise to tension between support and assessment), that teachers
were critical of the lack of clarity around the purpose and nature of the portfolio, and there were concerns
about how to handle serious underperformance by an NQT and about the potential for uneven standards
across schools. Principals felt that involvement had contributed to a more collaborative culture and
greater openness within the school as a whole. Newly qualified teachers in Droichead schools reported
lower levels of stress than those in non-participating schools. The most reported challenge centred on the
issue of time, mainly time for meetings and observations and the additional workload, especially for the
mentor, without commensurate rewards 11. A teacher mentor praised the scheme in a blog12 but was
concerned about the lack of accountability of the PST and the risk that the newly qualified teacher’s
relationships with teachers in the professional support team and other teachers in the school could be
8 https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Teacher-Education/Droichead/Droichead-Quality-Assurance/ 9 Irish Times 31 May 2016. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/droichead-teacher-mentoring-scheme-reveals-a-gap-to-be-bridged-1.2662181 10 Smyth, E. et al (2016) 11 https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Teacher-Education/Droichead/Droichead-Quality-Assurance/Droichead-Quality-Assurance-Report-2020.pdf 12 https://irishprimaryteacher.ie/droichead-my-thoughts-so-far/
different. As a result, the Droichead was modified in 2017 to become non-evaluative, in response to the
review and concerns, particularly in primary schools, about doing the work of the inspectorate. The role
of the inspectorate also shifted, to a more supportive and non-evaluative role.
More information
More information about the Irish education system can be found in Eurydice’s description of national education systems, in particular on Organisation and governance and on Teachers’ conditions of service. More information about Droichead and a related video are also recommended.