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English Language Teacher survey findings from June 2020: COVID-19 Ireland

This second survey by Unite ELT finds 149 English Language Teachers in Ireland believe that living and teaching through the Covid-19 Pandemic has not just been stressful and costly and damaging. Uniquely government has excluded the entire teaching body stakeholder group from all talks to relieve or improve their conditions or discuss conditions for safe return.

Teachers indicate situation may have been less damaging if managers and owners had communicated with them more regularly or would begin to do so. For example, teachers were not informed by their schools of a publicly funded state-chaired Working Group on the English Language Education sector established just after the restrictions for the sector had been officially extended to cover the ELE sector. Nor were teachers informed of their rights while working from home, with exceptions in only a few cases across the 149 teachers responding. Most report having received fewer than 3 emails over the course of the entire pandemic.

In tandem government’s ongoing unilateral policy of exclusion from the ELE Sector Working Group discussions of people who work for wages the English Language Education (ELE) sector is seen as something that is against their interests.

Question 4. All further graphs available below.

This is noted and contextualised by a section of questions focusing on the main areas where ELT workers have traditionally faced precarity and declining conditions for over three decades: personal finance due to low wages and variable hours, accommodation in high cost rented accommodation, and mental health issues stemming from the above and continuous stories of bullying through control of hours, and the absence of regulation and oversight for standards of employment or quality etc.

Added to these areas, was a question about physical health. As workers COVID Ireland this question is more necessary because workers in Irish ELE, just as in other sectors, are faced with a de facto imposition further precarity by government choices to priortise or, in the case of the ELE sector, to exclusively engage in owner-focussed policies, talks, and practice. These exclusionary choices are at the expense of working precarious teachers and predicated on the exclusion of all employees and working people in the sector, unionised or otherwise.

There is also an extensive section detailing ELE operators transition to and practice of operating online teaching with government consent and mandate.

These findings may be a valuable resource for students and student-side stakeholders who are seeking evidence or looking for a view from inside the online classrooms giving vital context for the relative inaction of Irish quality bodies and government departmental policies.

These policies and procedures allowed for-profit schools a free hand with the setting, measurement, recording and enforcement of standards regarding level of student service, refund policies and quality provision.

This may be especially important to stakeholders who are excluded because of the absence of public records of the exclusionary state-chaired ELE Working Group’s decisions regarding the English Language Education sector in Ireland at the time this article and this report are released.

Helpfully, many individual incidents and reports noted in Unite ELT’s first survey (conducted April and May 2020) are given evidence here. These concur with findings from Irish Council for International Students and English Language Students’ Union of Ireland reported in The Irish Times and Dublin Inquirer.

It is recommended that the government’s ELE sector Working Group include teacher representatives as soon as possible.

BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Unite ELT Branch commissioned this second survey in May 2020 at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland. 

The survey was open for approximately one month 2/6/2020-3/7/2020. It was emailed to all Unite ELT members and publicised on various ELT channels. Participants were encouraged to share the survey with members and non-members alike to get the largest available sample.

The questions were designed after studying the results of an extensive preliminary qualitative survey. The report of that survey is available on the Unite ELT website here. [https://eltunite.com/2020/06/18/qualitative-survey-of-elts-in-ireland-during-covid-19-pandemic-april-may-2020/]

The results of that survey indicated three areas for further research. Questions for all respondents focussed on four themes: 

  1. Stakeholder Status; 
  2. Communications during COVID-19; 
  3. Precarity. 
  4. Teaching online

In total there were 149 valid responses out of 153 responses. Approximately 78 participants accessed a Teaching Online section which was written with the input of a large number of members. These questions were accessible through a branching structure which revealed an extensive set of questions on their experience of Teaching Online.

Below is are the graphs representing the information in the responses to the survey.

For further comment or analysis see the full report.

covid-elt-in-ireland-survey-2_-quantitative-june-2020Download

SECTION 1 SUMMARY: STAKEHOLDER STATUS

Forms response chart. Question title: I regard myself as a stakeholder in my school.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am aware that government established a COVID-19 Working Group for the English Language Education (ELE) sector.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am aware that English Language Teachers are not represented at this Working Group.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I believe it would be in my professional interests to have representation at this working group. Number of responses: 149 responses.

SECTION 2 SUMMARY: COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE COVID-19 SITUATIONForms response chart. Question title: I have received official and formal correspondence from my employer since the beginning of the COVID-19 restrictions regarding my school closure (i.e. email, not social media). Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I have received regular updates from my school on what is officially happening at each Phase of the COVID restrictions and how this affects my school.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I have received an official, provisional re-opening date from my school after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: Information and updates I have received on my school and the ELT sector during the COVID-19 restrictions have been largely through social media. . Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am in regular contact with teachers I was working with since the COVID-19 restrictions closed my school (i.e. once per week).. Number of responses: 149 responses.

SECTION 3 SUMMARY: PRECARITYForms response chart. Question title: I am more concerned about my financial security now than I was before the COVID-19 restrictions.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am more concerned about my accommodation situation now than I was before the COVID-19 restrictions.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am more concerned about my physical well-being now than I was before the COVID-19 restrictions.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am more concerned about my mental well-being now than I was before the COVID-19 restrictions.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: I am more concerned about my future as an ELT teacher now than I was before the COVID-19 restrictions.. Number of responses: 149 responses.

SECTION 4 SUMMARY: TEACHING ONLINE

Forms response chart. Question title: Have you taught online for your school at all during the pandemic?. Number of responses: 149 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: TRAINING

Forms response chart. Question title: 1. Did your school provide you with any training in using its online platform or applications? . Number of responses: 75 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 2. How much training was provided?. Number of responses: 75 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 3. How much have you been paid for training to teach online thus far?. Number of responses: 74 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: PLANNING

Forms response chart. Question title: 4. On average how much time do you spend planning each core online class?. Number of responses: 74 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 5. Are you paid to plan your online classes?. Number of responses: 74 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 6. Has your school made use of an app/automated content delivery system to cover portions of the online lessons?. Number of responses: 75 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 6. If there is an app, how appropriate is the app to each level you teach?. Number of responses: 60 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 7. Do you have to create material for any of the following?. Number of responses: 72 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: ATTENDANCE

Forms response chart. Question title: 8. What is the largest number of students that has been assigned to any of your online classes? (If above these ranges use 'Other' to give the largest number.). Number of responses: 75 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 9. Have your class sizes generally increased over 15 since moving online? . Number of responses: 73 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 10. Has student use of third party applications (videos, tutorials, etc) been used to count towards classroom attendance time in your classes? . Number of responses: 75 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: RESOURCES

Forms response chart. Question title: 13. Do you have to upload sections/pages from copyrighted published materials to the school’s or a 3rd party online platform? . Number of responses: 74 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: LESSONS

Forms response chart. Question title: 14. Which levels do you think are best served by online teaching?. Number of responses: 69 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 15. Which skill is the most difficult to teach online?. Number of responses: 69 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 16. Have you been paid for creating and/or correcting online tests?. Number of responses: 76 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: COMMUNICATIONS

Forms response chart. Question title: 17. Did your school provide a document outlining your employment rights while working from home? . Number of responses: 75 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 18. Has your school made an acknowledgement of any of the following student issues. Number of responses: 72 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: 19. Which of the following methods do you use to engage with students out of class time? . Number of responses: 74 responses.

TEACHING ONLINE: HOURS AND INCOME

Forms response chart. Question title: Taken individually, and in comparison to your experience of work in face-to-face schools before the restrictions, how have the following changed:. Number of responses: .

UPE Malta begins strike action against hostile employer Club Class.

Recognition Granted to ETI Teachers - Union of Professional Educators
Above: Club Class owner Joe Aquilina has already apologised for derogatory comments he made about UPE members on the picket line outside his school in Malta. For more go to http://www.upevow.com

Unite ELT Branch supports the strike action UPE (Union of Professional Educators) Malta are currently undertaking in protest at their hostile employer Club Class. Communications with Club Class broke down during the pandemic after UPE made numerous attempts to engage with management only to be ignored time and again in recent weeks. The strike began on Monday July, 6th and will continue indefinitely. The strike has garnered much media attention in Malta already and we would encourage our members to show their support by engaging with the strikers on social media and sending further messages of support over the coming days and weeks. Identical to the Irish government’s Covid-19 Working Group for ELE, the Maltese government’s ‘think tank’ for the English language sector has excluded workers representatives and unions from participating or contributing in the most undemocratic and ignorant way. Our branch, along with the TEFL Workers Union in London, has sent donations to the workers this week in solidarity with our colleagues and will continue to show support for the duration of their strike action. Feel free to click on the links below for further details.

UPE Website and Facebook:

http://www.upevow.com/category/news/

https://www.facebook.com/upevow

https://bit.ly/2Z3WWc7

Għalliema tal-Ingliż jipprotestaw

Qualitative Survey of ELTs in Ireland during COVID-19 Pandemic April-May 2020

covid-elt-in-ireland-survey-1_-qualitative-april-may-2020-1Download

Executive Summary

Analysis of this survey shows that as​ low paid workers in a precarious sector​, ELTs are under exceptional stress. ​This survey strongly suggests that ​clear regular communication ​with ELTs by government and owners and​ fair treatment of ELTs as significant stakeholders ​in the ELE sector in Ireland would be of benefit to teachers and students.

The ELTs surveyed have generally been working in ELT for over 5 years, are union members, and are living in rented accommodation.

They reported their schools to be functioning well, at good capacity in general, and teachers were looking forward to positive changes in the sector when their schools were closed by government order on 13 March 2020 to slow the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Teachers were generally informed by email as to the school plans and two-thirds of respondents said their schools did not offer online lessons in the immediate weeks following the restrictions.

Regarding employment, significant decisions were taken by ELT employers: termination; temporary layoff; direction to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment; or whether to offer online teaching with/without reduction in hours/pay. ​Two-thirds were dealt with as a class of employees collectively without the benefit of individual contact​. The remaining third were notified with individual arrangements. Schools at least temporarily withheld pay for about half of the respondents on Friday 13 March (ruled as force majeure) and the following Monday 16. Only about three-quarters received pay for the Irish national bank holiday 17 March. Most filed for pay normally at the end of March.

24% of respondents reported students receiving refunds​. 97% said students at their school were offered some form of online learning with many​ price, quality, and supply issues ​mentioned in almost every case. Participants noted and described numerous ​ethical, pedagogical, labour rights, and customer rights issues indicated in the provision of online learning.

Teachers’ experience was divided: the majority were laid off at some point many after receiving a single​ day or afternoon of training on a video conferencing platform​. Some were still teaching through the month of April. Training was problematic and class numbers were variable due to students travelling home and confusion about whether class attendance was mandatory or not during the crisis. The vast majority of teachers are concerned about their jobs, their income and accommodation.​ Most were not aware of the government sponsored and recommended Wage Subsidy Scheme as their ELT employers simply laid them off without engaging.

Nor were they aware that the government had established a ​COVID-19 Working Group​ for the sector. This survey shows that if they could choose who to be included, they would include teachers and students. As the situation stands, ​both teachers and students are currently excluded,​ and teachers are excluded in many cases without means of contact.

Three-quarters of respondents reported being members of a trade union ​- with the majority holding a favourable view of the dominant union, Unite, and a favourable view of Unite’s representation.

3

Teachers were ​severely negatively impacted by the closures ​and manner in which the closures were managed, how communications with their workplaces were severed, and how the nature and quality of their work and income changed. The impact on their students seems to have had a significant negative impact on teachers as well.

The recommendation of this survey is to include teachers in the Working Group​ for the ELE sector. This recommendation is made in the current absence of links and communication with employers and variance of links to their employers, whether current or former. Teachers are ​clearly significant stakeholders in the Irish ELE sector​, and not only because of their student facing role. ​Their exclusion​ not only poses a risk to the teachers themselves, the students, and the schools, but ​is detrimental to the sector’s ability to uphold values of efficiency, inclusivity, diversity, and quality.

A move towards recognition of the importance of teachers by the COVID-19 Working Group would eliminate the need to direct the action of individual independent employers and create ​direct channels of communication with the teaching community ​who experience the problems of precarious employment in this particularly sensitive industry.

June 2020 COVID-19 English Language Teachers’ Survey

[Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough St. Dublin]

PURPOSE
This survey seeks to learn about the experiences of English Language Teachers who were affected in their work in the Irish English Language Education sector because of restrictions placed on schools by the Department of Education and Skills.

PARTICPANTS
The survey is open to all English Language Teachers working in Ireland currently and/or at the time of the beginning of restrictions 13 March 2020.

This survey is for all English Language Teachers including those who:

  • teach online for their school,
  • have taught for a short time,
  • have begun to teach more recently and/or
  • have never taught for their school online.

FORMAT
All 15 required initial questions are multiple choice or checkbox. They are grouped into three sections. This section takes approximately 4 minutes.

If you have taught online you can access a final 20 optional follow-on questions regarding your experience of Teaching Online. These are grouped in 7 sections. The Teaching Online section takes approximately 6 minutes.

-You may review all your answers at the end of this survey before submitting.
-You may request a copy of the report sent to you by email.
-You can exit the survey at any time and your responses will not be submitted unless you click submit.

DATA
-A sub-committee of members of the Unite ELT Branch will process the data participants voluntarily submit.
-All data remains anonymous.
-The survey will not request names or specific workplaces.
-Emails will only be required if a copy of the results as requested by the participant.
-Your personal data cannot be shared without your consent.

DATA COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION
This survey will remain open for one month. Publication of data will happen as soon as possible after the survey closes.

LINK

Click here to access the June 2020 COVID-19 English Language Teachers’ Survey

Unite ELT Branch
3 June 2020

Years of Action

2015 was when the College Closure Crisis was at its height. At this point, 11 ELT schools had closed in Dublin alone.

Two more schools were crumbling in April 2015. Linked by ownership, MEC and NCBA had issued IOUs instead of pay at the end of
April.

Teachers stopped working and students protested in support. Students formed MEC Student Union and on Tuesday, 5th May 2015, they marched from the Oscar Wilde statue to the QQI headquarters on Denzille Lane, to the Garda National Immigration Bureau on the quays, and to the Dáil, winning national media attention for their demand that the Minister for Education #RegulateNow.

An organiser from Unite observed the march that day. Impressed, he joined us.

He helped us go on to build this Ireland-wide ELT branch and become a part of the Joint Labour Committee talks happening this year to finally regulate for better employment in our sector.

This was the day Unite united with us.


https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/education/language-school-protests-hundreds-non-eu-5641850 

https://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0505/698740-language-schools-education/ 

https://www.thejournal.ie/english-language-college-closures-ireland-2085691-May2015/ 

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/international-students-hold-protest-in-dublin-city-centre-1.220051

ELT Branch Statement

Following two extensive branch meetings and further consultation with our members, we wish to convey the following.

The Unite ELT branch states that:

Schools must communicate clearly and immediately with teachers in writing about their employment situation and pay. Teachers must also be given weekly updates in writing on this matter. Teachers must not be forced to take their holidays to cover the closure period.

Teachers are under no obligation to teach online. However, if they choose to do so, all training, preparation and correction time for online teaching must be paid at the normal contracted rate.

All necessary equipment and support for teaching must be provided by the schools. Class duration and size must be reduced as appropriate for online teaching. Employees must continue to be paid at their average weekly wage, even if online teaching is not available or they are unable to do it.

Rent and mortgage payments must be waived for the duration of the crisis and there must be a guarantee of no evictions. There should be no accrued debt as a result of this waiver.

Employers must negotiate with the union immediately in order to achieve the best outcomes for workers, students, public health and their businesses.

We also wish to extend our deepest solidarity to all other branches and workers. Please get in touch if you require our help.

Unite has also called for the establishment of an Emergency Forum.