Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 March 2014
79. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the improvements that have taken place in pre-service and in-service training in teaching of literacy for primary and secondary school teachers. [11349/14]
View answerRecommendations for changes to initial teacher education and the provision of continuing professional development were included in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020.
The recommendations on initial teacher education have been incorporated into the Teaching Council's Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011. Improvements made to initial teacher education courses include the reconfiguration of the content and duration of courses, with the duration of concurrent ITE programmes set at a minimum of four years while the postgraduate programmes of teacher education will take place over two years thereby facilitating an innovative reconceptualisation of programmes.
Reconfigured and extended B.Ed programmes for primary teaching commenced in September 2012. Reconfigured concurrent programmes for post-primary teaching commenced in September 2013. Reconfigured and extended post-graduate programmes for both primary and post-primary teachers are due to commence in September 2014. The lengthened and reconfigured programmes include substantial periods of school placement as central to student teacher development and a number of mandatory elements including literacy and numeracy. It is also stipulated that in all areas of study there should be provision for student teachers' literacy and numeracy and their competence in promoting and assessing literacy and numeracy as appropriate to their curricular/subject area(s).
My Department is very committed to ensuring that literacy and numeracy are an integral part of the ongoing support available to schools and training has been offered to all primary and post primary teachers. To date almost 71,000 training places have been made available by the Professional Development Service for Teachers who are charged with leading the roll out of support for the Strategy. All support services in receipt of funding from my Department must ensure that literacy is an integral part of the support they provide.
