Ned O'Keeffe
Question:266 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will put a graduate course in place in County Cork (details supplied). [28202/01]
Written Answers. - Third Level Courses.
At present, the courses run in the State which allow for appointment to a permanent post in a primary school are the Bachelor of Education degree and the 18 month postgraduate diploma in primary teaching. Both of these courses are run in the colleges of education which specialise in the training of primary teachers. In the 2000-01 academic year 3,300 students were enrolled and pursuing various stages of these programmes.
The 18 month course is a full-time course run to enable third level graduates to train as primary teachers. The course was introduced as a response to a shortage in the supply of primary teachers. It was first provided in the 1995-96 academic year and has been repeated on a number of occasions since then. My Department is currently in consultation with the colleges of education about arrangements for another course. The timing and details will be announced when the consultation process is complete. There are currently no plans to provide a postgraduate diploma course in primary teaching in University College Cork.