Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2006
1228 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the Teaching Council is demanding, as a condition for post-primary registration, one complete year teaching at a minimum of 18 hours per week; and the way in which teachers who are employed on a part-time basis of less than 18 hours can register with the consequences that, having failed to register, they will be unable to obtain a permanent job after March 2007. [28339/06]
View answerThe Teaching Council was formally established on 28 March 2006, following enactment of the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 and 2006. On its establishment, the Council took over the functions of the Registration Council, including those covering the registration of post-primary teachers. As part of this process, and in relation to the registration of post-primary teachers, the Teaching Council has continued to operate with the same regulations that were used by the Registration Council. These regulations are set out in my Department's publication: "General Information on Post-Primary Teaching in the Republic of Ireland including Teacher Qualification Requirements".
This publication outlines the criteria for the registration of teachers in voluntary secondary schools as follows:
"Teachers who are proposed for appointment to posts in Voluntary Secondary schools must be registered or have applied for registration (that is, with the Registration Council) before they are entitled to salary. To be eligible for registration, a teacher must:
hold a suitable degree, and
hold a suitable teacher-training qualification, and
have at least one year of full-time approved teaching service.
Some teachers appointed to teaching posts in voluntary secondary schools will have qualifications that enable them to be registered, but will not have the required approved teaching service. While they may be appointed to teaching posts (and paid at the qualified rate of salary), they cannot become fully registered until they satisfy all conditions for registration."
I understand that the Teaching Council is currently in the process of drawing up Regulations covering the registration of teachers, including those at post-primary level. It is expected that these Regulations will be ratified by the Teaching Council over the coming months.
