Deputy principal on public pay talks: Let's not forget the work teachers do that isn't measured

Fiona Bolger

I AM A deputy principal in an Irish post-primary school, and I have been reflecting on something we risk taking for granted: the extraordinary goodwill of teachers and what it contributes to young people’s lives.

Irish schools run on goodwill. Not entirely, of course. We have dedicated professionals, curricula and systems of accountability. But something less measurable gives schools their spirit and sense of community: the time and energy teachers give freely, often without a second thought.

Take one ordinary week in my school.

Students attended a jiving lesson at lunchtime. Another represented the school in a county-level Rotary competition. There were camogie and soccer matches, alongside activities organised through our 15 school clubs.

And that is only scratching the surface.

Across Ireland, teachers organise sporting fixtures, debating competitions, musical productions, environmental initiatives and charity fundraisers. They arrange educational trips, college visits and experiences through which young people discover interests and talents they might never otherwise encounter.

The impacts on students

For some students, these become the most memorable experiences of their school years.

But goodwill extends beyond extracurricular activities. It is the maths teacher giving up lunchtime for an additional class; the chemistry teacher staying after school to help students prepare for examinations; the teachers who give time during the Easter holidays to support students preparing for their oral examinations.

It is also the teacher who notices a young person struggling emotionally and quietly gives up a break to listen and offer support.

These moments rarely appear on a timetable. They are not easily recorded in a spreadsheet. Yet they can make an extraordinary difference.

And then there are school trips. Anyone who has accompanied teenagers overnight, particularly abroad, understands the responsibility involved. Teachers are effectively on duty around the clock, caring for other people’s children because they recognise the value of the experience.

Teachers are also conscious of protecting classroom teaching time. In my experience, they make every effort to arrange activities around their teaching commitments. Lunch breaks, early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays become the time in which much of this happens.

And so much of it is entirely voluntary.

It is so embedded in school culture that we scarcely stop to acknowledge it. We should.

Because teachers are not simply giving additional hours. They are creating relationships, opportunities and a sense of belonging.

And belonging matters. Young people who feel known, valued and connected to their school are more likely to engage positively with education.

The student who struggles academically may find confidence on the sports field. A quiet student may discover a voice through debating. Another may find friendship through a lunchtime club or a future career through an educational visit.

Impossible to measure

These are not merely optional extras. They help make education meaningful. A teacher who coaches a team or accompanies a trip gets to know students differently. Students see teachers who genuinely care about them. That trust finds its way back into the classroom.

There is something else worth celebrating about Irish education. Most young people attend publicly funded schools, where access to a rich school life does not depend on parents paying private-school fees. In towns and communities across the country, students in ordinary post-primary schools can participate in an extraordinary range of activities, competitions, performances and educational experiences.

Much of that is possible because teachers willingly give their time. It is something to be proud of, and something to protect.

While additional working hours were restored for much of the public service in 2022, teachers were among the groups excluded from that restoration. Post-primary teachers continue to undertake 33 additional Croke Park hours annually. Beyond those formal obligations lies an enormous voluntary contribution that is rarely acknowledged.

As discussions continue around public sector productivity, I worry that policymakers may seek to formalise, quantify or mandate what teachers currently provide voluntarily. Counting hours and prescribing activities might look like progress on paper. In practice, it could be a profound mistake.

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Goodwill cannot simply become a contractual requirement without changing its nature. We risk creating a culture in which people ask not “What can I do for my students?” but “Have I fulfilled my required hours?”

We risk replacing generosity with compliance and placing a ceiling on a contribution that currently has no prescribed limit.

Everyone pulling together

This is not an argument against accountability or reform. Teaching and learning must remain our central purpose. But not everything of value in education can be measured.

Before policymakers seek further productivity from teachers, I would ask them to spend a week in an Irish post-primary school.

Look beyond the timetable. See what happens before school, at lunchtime, after the final bell and at weekends. Witness the opportunities being created, the relationships being built and the young people being supported.

Then ask whether the contribution they seek to measure might already be worth considerably more than any additional hours they hope to gain.

The goodwill of Irish teachers is not an untapped productivity resource. It is the foundation of our school communities.

Once that goodwill is eroded, no amount of regulation or contractual obligation will easily restore it.

We should be nurturing it, celebrating it and protecting it.

Not counting it.

Fiona Bolger is a deputy principal at Coláiste Abhainn Rí, Callan, Co. Kilkenny. She writes in a personal capacity.