Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of the TUI and a former teacher of Physics, Science and Maths at St Brendan’s Community School in BirrStress and burnout fuelling teacher retention crisis, says Birr’s Michael GillespieMichael 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. A total of 1,838 responses were received to the question of whether teachers feel their voices are heard by government and policymakers. In too many cases, stress and burnout are driving these highly qualified graduates away," said Mr Gillespie. However, there is no room for complacency given the myriad pressures and demands facing teachers in increasingly complex school and societal contexts.

Source: Irish Independent March 23, 2026 23:54 UTC