Our History and Mission

ELSTA was formed in 2006 to address the needs of English Language Support Teachers.

 

You can read more about the founding of ELSTA in 2006 and its early history here.

 

At its peak, Ireland had over 3,500 EAL (English as Additional Language) Teachers. That number has lowered considerably in recent years and the role of the EAL teacher in schools has changed.

 

Since 2017, EAL teaching has been subsumed into the Special Educational Teaching role. EAL teaching deserves an association to provide ALL teachers who work with English language learners with up to date professional development and support.

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ELSTA was renewed on September 30th, 2020 after being inactive since 2015. An enthusiastic new National Executive looks forward to working with schools, teachers and key stakeholders in providing high quality support, professional development opportunities and networking for teachers.

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