Gary Gannon
Question:162. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will consider paying teachers in training for their work in placement schools. [5164/23]
View answerThursday, 2 February 2023
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The Teaching Council, as the professional regulatory body for teaching, has statutory responsibility for the accreditation of initial teacher education programmes and for the registration of primary and post-primary teachers.
Revised standards for the accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education, Céim – Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE), were published by the Teaching Council in November 2020. Céim sets out the requirements that all ITE programmes in Ireland must meet in order to gain accreditation from the Teaching Council. It is also a benchmark for anybody seeking to register as a teacher in Ireland. In line with these revised standards, primary and post primary student teachers must spend between 24 and 30 weeks on school placement as part of their ITE programme.
During school placement, student teachers are welcomed and supported by HEI tutors, school principals, class teachers and the school community. It provides student teachers with an opportunity to reflect on their identity as teachers, to develop it and become socialised into the profession. It is underpinned by a shared professional understanding that collaborative engagement with school placement provides professional learning opportunities for all involved.
I want to acknowledge the key role played by student teachers in supporting schools in recent years by providing substitution cover. This support was vitally important to ensure that our schools remained open for pupils.
Student teachers can, if they wish, still support schools by providing substitution cover when they have availability outside of their ITE programme requirements.
Students providing substitution cover, outside of their ITE programme requirements, will be paid at their appropriate personal rate.
However, there are no plans to introduce payment to student teachers during their periods of school placement as part of their ITE programme requirements