Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 4

Written Answers. - Teaching Qualifications.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

299 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason his Department, as a matter of practice up to 1979, did not adhere to its own regulations in Memorandum V31, in admitting trainee technical school art teachers into the teacher qualifying examination, the principles of teaching art, and then withheld recognition from those who passed the examination until they complied with entry conditions to the examination which the Department itself did not adhere to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17269/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Memorandum V31, which set out the requirements for the award of the art teachers' certificate, provided that the Department's examination in the principles of teaching art, PTA, was to be held in June each year. Entry to the examination was confined to candidates who satisfied specific eligibility requirements as set out in the memorandum. The closing date for receipt of applications for the examination was 30 April each year.

My Department's position is that only those candidates who were eligible should have been admitted to the PTA examination. That said, my Department is aware of a case where, through error, a candidate who was not eligible was admitted to the examination. However, recognition as a qualified teacher of art requires more than the passing of the PTA examination and as the candidate in question did not have other essential qualifications she did not qualify for recognition until she obtained these.