Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 March 2015
125. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the professional qualifications that Education Services Overseas Limited teachers employed by Education and Training Boards in the basic education sector are required to have. [10666/15]
View answer126. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether Education Services Overseas Limited teaching staff are required to be members of the Teaching Council. [10667/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 126 together.
I understand both questions refer to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.
My Department, through SOLAS, funds English language tuition for adults as part of the Adult Literacy service. Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are responsible for the organisation and delivery of tuition locally, including the recruitment of staff. There are no set requirements in relation to qualifications. Individual ETBs, as employers, set the criteria for positions and may include qualification requirements as part of their staff recruitment process.
Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act became operational on 28 January 2014. From then all persons employed as teachers in recognised schools must be registered with the Teaching Council, the professional standards body for teachers, in order to be paid by the State. Staff delivering ESOL programmes would not generally be employed as teachers nor be employed in recognised schools.
