Clodágh makes the grade with teaching job close to home

YOUNG teacher, Clodágh McNulty, 24, is eagerly-anticipating her new permanent position at Dean Maguirc College, Carrickmore, this September.

A Dromore native and former pupil of St John’s Enterprise College and Loreto Grammar School, Clodágh recently graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast, with an English degree and PGCE.

After a year-long teaching post at St Patrick’s College, Dungannon, Clodágh’s decision to remain in the North reflects a recent trend of graduates choosing to stay local rather than moving abroad for higher wages.

According to the National Education Union, this trend is partly due to improved job security and salaries here.

“My friends had work lined up, but I had none,” Clodágh told the UH.

“The idea of teaching abroad did cross my mind, especially with my best friend teaching in Doha. However, I wanted to give back to the NI education system and secure a permanent position.”

With 80 per-cent of this year’s Northern Ireland teaching graduates successfully registering, and a promising resolution to the pay dispute, offering new teachers around £30,000 per annum, Clodágh’s choice to stay is emblematic of a broader shift.

“I’m thrilled to be starting at Dean Maguirc College, where I previously did my placement and loved every moment,” she said.

“It’s great to have a secure role close to home.”

Clodágh credits her own education in Dromore with fostering her passion for teaching. “Tummery PS is a brilliant school and I particularly enjoyed the rural setting – It was like home from home for me.

“St John’s and Loreto also provided me with strong support and a love for learning, particularly in English,” she recalled. “My teachers, especially Mr Nelson and Ms Fahy, inspired me to pursue this career.”

Clodágh’s advice to fellow graduates is to be patient and trust in their career path. “Trust that the right job will come when it’s right for you, and don’t feel pressured to move abroad if it’s not what you want to do.”