NI education system 'in turmoil'

Northern Ireland's education system is in turmoil and its politicians must work together to get it back on track, a teachers' union leader has said.

The NASUWT's newly elected president, Arthur McGarrigle, has also called on the government to guarantee new teachers a job.

Mr McGarrigle also said the surplus of teachers in NI was "a waste of talent".

According to the union, only one out of five teachers who qualified in NI last year were able to find full-time jobs.

"The other four-fifths - what's happening to them, we are not quite sure," he said.

"Some of them are getting day-to-day subbing jobs, some are getting extended maternity leave subbing jobs.

"The rest of them, unfortunately, are either leaving teaching altogether or are leaving Northern Ireland to find a teaching job elsewhere."

Mr McGarrigle also said untrained staff were being employed to teach in classrooms.

He said the problems in Northern Ireland's education system could best be dealt with by assembly members going back to work together in a devolved assembly.