Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 2

Written Answers. - Teaching Qualifications.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

13 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the requirements of second level teachers who train in the United Kingdom for them to secure recognition here; the reason these requirements are more onerous for second level teachers than for primary teachers; his plans to relax these requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2774/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Arrangements are in place for the recognition in this State of teachers who are recognised teachers in another member state of the EU and to whom the terms of Council Directive 89/48/EEC apply. Statutory Instrument 1/91, by which Council Directive 89/48/EEC on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications was implemented, stipulates that the Minister for Education and Science is the designated authority for the recognition of teachers in primary, community, comprehensive and vocational schools, and that the registration council, with the approval of the Minister, is the designated authority in the case of teachers in voluntary secondary schools.

At primary level, teachers are class teachers rather than subject specialists and must be qualified to teach the range of primary school subjects to children aged four to 12 years. To be fully recognised to teach at primary level in this country, teachers must have undertaken a recognised primary teaching training course and possess a recognised primary teaching qualification. Primary teachers trained outside the State, whose qualifications have been assessed and accepted by my Department but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification, are granted a five year period of provisional recognition to teach in mainstream classes in national schools. However, teachers from abroad who qualified as second level teachers in their country of origin and who have not undertaken an appropriate conversion course in primary teacher training are not accepted for the purpose of recognition to teach in a permanent capacity in primary schools. This is in line with what pertains in relation to qualified second level teachers who trained in this State and who have not undergone a postgraduate conversion course to qualify as a primary teacher. Such teachers are not recognised to teach in a permanent capacity in primary schools.

To be recognised to teach at second level a teacher must, in general, hold a degree of a recognised university that will enable them to teach at least one subject from the second level curriculum. In addition, in voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools, the teacher must also hold a suitable training-in-teaching qualification, such as the Higher Diploma in Education, which would enable the teacher to teach his or her specialist subject(s) to students in the age range generally of 12 to 18. Common criteria are used, by the registration council and my Department, for assessing the suitability of the qualifications of all applicants for teaching in this State. A teacher who is recognised as a fully qualified teacher in a member state of the EU may apply to my Department for similar recognition in this State. Full recognition is granted to such applicants where the appropriate authority is satisfied that the qualifications held by the applicant are of an equivalent standard to those required for teaching at second level in this State. Where a substantial shortfall in the education and training of the applicant is identified, provisional recognition may be granted on the applicant undertaking to make good the shortfall within the required time limits by means of either passing an aptitude test or completing an adaptation period.

Prior to 1999, in addition to the academic requirements which I have outlined, teachers had to have a recognised qualification in the Irish language to be recognised as a fully qualified second level teacher. This requirement no longer applies to the generality of teachers at second level since the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year. This change has meant that, subject to their having acceptable academic qualifications, it is easier for teachers, including those trained in other EU countries, to gain full recognition in this State.