The Minister for Education Norma Foley will meet senior officials from the country's teacher education colleges tomorrow with a view to establishing whether final-year students training to be teachers can play a greater role in supporting schools during the current schools’ staffing crisis.
The meeting comes as primary teachers' union the INTO, and a body representing primary school principals have called for an increased role for student teachers in subbing in schools.
The INTO wants up to 500 third and fourth year students (out of a student base of 4,000) to be permitted to substitute for five days between now and Christmas.