Independent:

Teacher absences from primary and two-thirds of post-primary schools ran at almost one million days in 2017 and more than 10pc - 155,000 - were not covered by a substitute teacher.

The absences included sick leave, both certified and self-certified, maternity leave and family related leave, professional development and working on the annual State exams.

The figures, in the Department of Education's report on teacher demand and supply, highlight the challenges for principals and for policy makers trying to predict the number of teachers required to cover all eventualities. Read more