Vol. 514 No. 2
125 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the policy of his Department in refusing recognition of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal, who had been accepted as a substitute teacher, to work as a trained temporary teacher; and the reason for this policy. [3791/00]
The person referred to by the Deputy holds a Montessori qualification. Teachers with the Montessori qualification which is awarded on completion of the three year full time course in the Association Montessori Internationale – AMI – College, Mount St. Mary's, Milltown, Dublin 14, and teachers trained in St. Nicholas, Dun Laoghaire, Montessori, who have successfully completed the full-time course of at least three years duration which is recognised by the National Council for Educational Awards may be granted recognition to teach in special schools and classes. If a person holding these qualifications is appointed to teach in a special school or special class she or he would receive full salary entitlements on being appointed to such a post. She or he would also be regarded as qualified for resource teaching posts for pupils with special needs.
Teachers holding Montessori qualifications who serve as substitutes are paid at the trained rate, but are paid at the untrained rate when employed in a temporary capacity in mainstream schools. I should point out that substitute teachers are generally employed on a short-term basis to replace teachers absent on certified sick leave and maternity leave. Temporary teachers, on the other hand, are generally employed for a full school year to replace teachers on long-term unpaid leave of absence.
126 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 239 of 2 February 2000 in regard to the competition for conversion course for degree holders to take up primary education teaching, he will confirm that no change was made to any of the qualifying conditions of applicants in the new advertisements. [3793/00]
In the recently advertised post-graduate course for primary teaching there was a change to the academic requirements in the case of Irish, in that a grade C in the matriculation examination was accepted as an approved equivalent to the leaving certificate or GCSE requirement. This change was advertised at the same time as the extension of the closing date.
