Vol. 443 No. 7
197 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Education the criteria that were used in the recent upgrading of teacher training centres in view of the fact that a centre that was given part-time status in 1993 was elevated to full-time status in 1994.
I see teachers' centres playing a central role in helping to deliver a high quality teacher in-career development programme and I plan to establish a network of centres nationwide. In relation to criteria, an effective teachers' centre must be capable of responding to the in-career development needs of the education system and also to the needs of schools and individual teachers. It must be capable of promoting real change in the classroom and be efficient and cost effective in the development and delivery of in-career development activities.
This year is the starting point of the development programme to upgrade and expand the network of teachers' centres. The process of setting up the network has already begun in accordance with the above criteria. I have sanctioned the building of new purpose-built centres to replace the existing centres at Blackrock, County Dublin and in west Dublin. I have announced the upgrading of the teachers' centres at Carrick-on-Shannon, Portlaoise and Tralee to full-time status and, if necessary, new purpose-built centres will be provided in those locations. I will be considering the position of the other teachers' centres and have invited them to contact my Department about their plans and to apply for inclusion in the development programme.
