At present, the courses run in the State that allow for appointment to a permanent post in a primary school are the Bachelor of Education degree and the full-time, 18 month graduate diploma in primary teaching. Both of these courses are run in the colleges of education, which specialise in the training of primary teachers. The graduate diploma course was introduced as a response to a shortage in the supply of primary teachers and has been provided by the colleges of education for the past number of years. The most recent course commenced in February of this year. Discussions will be held in the near future with the colleges of education in relation to providing another course in 2003.
The Government has taken effective action to boost substantially the supply of trained primary teachers and to alleviate the current supply difficulties. As part of a range of initiatives to improve teacher supply, the intake to the Bachelor of Education programme in the colleges of education has been increased dramatically in recent years. Since 1999 over 1,000 students have been admitted annually to the programme. This represents a doubling of the number admitted to the programme in 1996. The total intake to the colleges of education in the 2001-2002 academic year increased to a record 1,461. This compares with an intake of 500 in 1996-97. There are currently some 3,750 students enrolled and pursuing various stages of primary teacher training programmes in the colleges of education. The number of places made available on the graduate diploma courses since 1997 is 1,453. Between 2001 and 2002 it is projected that some 2,300 qualified primary teachers will graduate from the colleges of education. This represents a huge increase in the number of trained graduates as compared with 1995 when 291 graduated. Other initiatives to increase the number of trained personnel have also been introduced. Bachelor of Education graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast, who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualification are now recognised as fully qualified.