State examinations can still not find examiners for the Leaving Cert

They seem to be running out of time.

The State Examinations Commission is still on the lookout for teachers to be examiners for the upcoming Junior and Leaving Cert. According to the Irish Times, there is a shortage in all subjects with just six weeks to go until the examinations take place. On Monday, the commission wrote to school principals to seek assistance in securing teachers for the job. It has also called on recently qualified teachers, as well as those that have retired. “It would be of great assistance to the examinations system if you could encourage the teachers in your school to apply for these positions by notifying them of our extended recruitment campaign,” the commission letter states. It is thought that the shortage is due to a lack of qualified teachers in various subjects along with economic pay cuts to examiners. Applications for examiners roles had a deadline of mid-December 2017, however they have (obviously) been extended, and will now run until April 30. “The State Examinations Commission has every confidence that this will be the same this year,” a spokesperson told the Irish Times.