Vol. 558 No. 4
265 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will support the modular course for teachers or an accelerated modular course to ensure that qualified teachers go into a primary educational system to deal with the shortage of primary teachers. [24688/02]
The intake to the B. Ed. programme in the colleges of education has been increased dramatically in recent years. Since 1999 more than 1,000 students have been admitted annually to the undergraduate B. Ed. programme. This represents a doubling of the number admitted to the programme in 1996.
The total annual intake to the colleges of education in the 2000-02 academic year was increased to a record 1,461. This compares with an intake of 500 in 1996-97. There are some 3,460 students enrolled and pursuing various stages of primary teacher training programmes in the colleges of education. A further postgraduate course will commence in February 2003 with a projected intake of 461 students.
My Department will be consulting with the primary colleges of education in the near future with regard to the provision of modular type courses for secondary trained teachers with the necessary academic requirement in Irish who are teaching in primary schools.
