Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 December 2023
354. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education the position regarding extending recognition to Route 4 training through the Teaching Council for properly trained staff to work with special needs children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55285/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations.
The qualification in Montessori Education referred to has long-standing recognition with the Department of Education (DE) and was subsequently amalgamated into the Council’s Registration Regulations under Route 4. With the making of the 2016 Regulations it has been known that this is being phased out with a clear timeframe for same and this has been subject to extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders. This qualification is only acceptable for registration under Route 4 Other where the application is made on or before 31 December 2023. Any Route 4 Other teachers registered with this qualification prior to this date will remain on the Register, and can continue to renew their Registration in the usual manner.
It should be noted that access to Route 4 Other remains in place and open for applicants who have obtained a qualification or qualifications in special needs education outside of Ireland, which on assessment by the Council is deemed of an equivalent standard to the standards required.
The Teaching Council works within Department policy and central to this policy is that all teachers who are teaching children with Special Educational Needs should be qualified Primary or Post-primary teachers in the first instance and may then apply for one of the Department of Education recognised qualifications in Special Educational Needs as outlined in the DE circular 0044/2019.
All Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Ireland that lead to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. Registration under Route 3 (Further Education) of the 2016 Regulations is the route of registration available where an accredited qualification in the primary or post-primary sector is not held. Applicants who apply under this route must hold a degree qualification but are not initially required to hold a teacher education qualification (TEQ). Applicants who meet the degree qualification requirements and who have not completed an accredited TEQ are eligible for conditional registration for a period of three years in which time this requirement must be completed.
There are a number of Graduate and Post-Graduate Diplomas in the field of Special Education which are approved by the Department of Education and which can be used to add this sector to a teacher’s registration where the teacher also holds an accredited teacher education qualification.
The Department understands that there has been engagement between the institution providing the Montessori qualification referred to and the Teaching Council to discuss requirements should it wish to submit an ITE programme to the Council for the purpose of review and accreditation. Any such engagement is subject to the Council’s schedule for programme accreditation, and is a matter for the institution, and the Teaching Council in discharging its statutory functions.
