Vol. 575 No. 5
129 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) who has qualified in Northern Ireland as a secondary teacher can be recognised as a primary teacher here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28795/03]
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. In order to be fully recognised to teach at primary level, teachers must have undertaken a recognised primary teaching training course and possess a recognised primary teaching qualification. Such a qualification can usually be achieved by a person graduating from one of the recognised teacher training courses, including postgraduate conversion courses or by a primary teacher whose qualifications were obtained abroad achieving the necessary level of competence in the Irish language.
To be recognised as a teacher, the person to whom the Deputy refers must have his secondary qualifications assessed for recognition purposes. If the qualifications are acceptable and the person wishes to teach in a mainstream primary school in a permanent capacity, the person would need to successfully complete a recognised teaching conversion course to be appropriately qualified to teach in primary schools in this State. This is in line with the position whereby qualified second level teachers who trained in this State and have not undergone a postgraduate conversion course to qualify as a primary teacher are not accepted for the purpose of recognition to teach in a permanent capacity in mainstream classes in primary schools.
Recognised secondary teachers may teach mainstream classes at primary level and receive the trained rate of pay under a scheme currently in place. Appointment to such a post would not entitle a secondary teacher to hold a permanent post at primary level.
