Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 May 2013
88. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the findings of the International Review Panel on Initial Education and the recommendations it makes for reform of the current system which if implemented should enhance teacher professionalism by increasing the research capacity of providers of initial teacher education. [21976/13]
View answer89. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to the criticism of the International Review Panel on Initial Teacher Education that there is an over-reliance on part-time ITE staff and that casualisation is not conducive to high-quality outcomes, particularly in the area of research and systematic quality improvement. [21977/13]
View answer90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will be implementing a recommendation of the International Review Panel on initial teacher education that has called on the State to monitor the quality of entrants to all Initial Teacher Education providers, including private ones; the reason the number of entrants to publicly funded institutions remains capped while private-sector numbers remain uncapped at a time when many graduate teachers are unemployed. [21978/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88 to 90, inclusive, together.
I have accepted the recommendations set out in a report commissioned by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on the structures of initial teacher education (ITE). The purpose of the report was to identify possible new structures to improve initial teacher education in Ireland so that it is comparable with the best in the world.
I believe that the recommendations on structural changes will complement other reforms already in train and assist in positioning Ireland at the forefront of teacher education. The implementation of the panel's recommendations concerning research will contribute to this goal. I agree with the review panel that there should be a culture of research in teacher education where staff are familiar with current research and are engaged in research on critical areas of teaching and teacher education.
The panel made comments on the staffing situation in ITE institutes. I too am concerned that ITE providers have access to and can retain suitably qualified and experienced personnel. It is hoped that the move to larger institutions will provide more critical mass and certainty for staff planning and development purposes. In the meantime, however, we are required to comply with necessary restrictions on recruitment and employee numbers, given the difficult position with the public finances.
In terms of the quality of entrants to ITE programmes, as a State we endeavour to set high standards of literacy and numeracy for all school leavers and to produce well informed critical thinkers across various disciplines. The academic standard of entrants to ITE programmes is high. Nonetheless, the Teaching Council, as part of its ongoing and multifaceted work on improving the quality of teaching, is currently undertaking a review of entry requirements and I look forward to receiving its advice in due course.
My Department is also keen to ensure that forecasting mechanisms are developed to ensure an adequate supply of teachers with the required qualifications. However, even with the best possible systems in place, securing equilibrium between demand and supply is not an exact science, and is subject to quite a number of variables. Recent developments, such as the EU rules on mutual recognition of qualifications, have also meant that supply is more difficult to control and predict. I have asked the Teaching Council to advise on this issue. My Department will work with the Council and other relevant stakeholders, as required, towards developing such mechanisms.
In the meantime, the numbers approved for entry to State-funded primary ITE programmes will continue to be subject to limits, as I do not believe it is in the interest of graduates or the teaching profession that there be an unregulated increase in graduate teachers from the public sector in the short to medium term. The level of intake to these Colleges has decreased in recent years in light of available resources and factors impacting on demand.
