Written Answers. - Teaching Qualifications.
Gay Mitchell
Question:
187
Mr. G. Mitchell
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will address the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) dealing with difficulties and problems which teachers encounter when trying to pass the examination to become teachers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[30524/03]
Courses specifically designed to cater for teachers trained outside Ireland who wish to sit for the scrúdú le haghaidh cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge, SCG, are run by a number of education centres throughout the country.
Funding towards the running of these courses, among others, is provided to education centres by my Department. The question of course provision and the level of courses provided would be a matter for decision by the education centres and would be influenced by demand for such courses.
I established a working group to review all aspects of the syllabus and examination for the scrúdú le haghaidh cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge in 2001. Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann, the colleges of education, primary school management organisations, the INTO, the National Parents Council – primary – and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment all were represented on this working group. Organisations were invited to submit proposals as part of the review of the SCG and all such proposals were given full consideration by the working group in preparing its report.
The report of the working group has now been finalised and is being presented to my Department. To date the review group has drafted a revised syllabus. The revised syllabus was circulated to all schools in December, 2002 and the SCG examinations held on 29, 30 and 31 October 2003 were the first series of SCG examinations to be based on this syllabus.
The review group has also drafted a handbook for the examination. The handbook will contain detailed information on the SCG and will provide answers to a wide range of questions raised by candidates. The review committee is also recommending changes to the content and format of the examination modules to take effect possibly from autumn of 2004. It is also planned to produce a textbook of relevant prose.
Candidates for the SCG are expected to have knowledge of the teaching methods of Irish as a mother tongue and as a second language to primary school children, and of strategies to promote the use of Irish as a language of communication and as a teaching medium.
The standard required to obtain a pass in the SCG is the standard of Irish that would enable teachers to teach the language to sixth class in a national school. Candidates must therefore demonstrate that they have attained the level of language competence described in the syllabus and reflected in the examination papers, and that they understand the methodology of teaching Irish as a second language. It must be borne in mind that many primary schools not only teach Irish but have Irish as the principal language of instruction and communication generally.
The number of such schools has in fact grown significantly in recent years. A primary teacher may have to teach pupils whose mother tongue is Irish, or who are competent users of the language. Even when teaching Irish to pupils whose mother tongue is English or another language, it is widely accepted by language teachers that, in order to be effective, the teacher needs to have a very good command of the language.
