Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
753. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the reason an application (details supplied) was rejected; the reason it is taking so long for a decision on the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39120/23]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications for those who qualified as teachers outside of Ireland. The Teaching Council adheres to the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015, the Teaching Council Registration Regulations (2016) and in its role as a competent authority, it operates in accordance with the EU Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EU as amended). As a statutory professional standards body, the Teaching Council is required by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration. One of the ways the Council ensures and regulates standards is by ensuring that all teachers entering the profession in Ireland have met the required standards.
Fully qualified teachers are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council. The Council registers teachers under four Routes of Registration; Route 1 Primary, Route 2 Post-primary, Route 3 Further Education and Route 4 Other.
The Teaching Council has advised that the person referred to by the Deputy is currently registered in full as a post-primary teacher with two subjects. As a registered post-primary teacher, this person has met the registration requirement to teach at least one post-primary curricular subject. Deployment within schools to teach subjects is a matter for individual school authorities. It is not a registration requirement to be recognised for additional subjects. The Council does however accept applications from teachers who have upskilled and wish for information purposes to add a subject to their registration.
The person referred to by the Deputy applied to add a subject to their registration. An assessment was carried out by a subject advisor to ensure the person met the subject criteria as per the Curricular Subject Requirements, 2017 before the subject was added. The requirements include a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credit requirement, the study of various areas of the subject and the requirement to have completed a programme of post-primary initial teacher education (age range 12-18 years) in which the theory, methodology and practice of teaching the subject forms the central aspect.
The person referred to meets the ECTS credit requirement and has demonstrated they have studied the required areas. A shortfall however was identified in that the person referred to has not studied the theory, methodology and practice of teaching the subject. The decision of the Council’s Qualification Panel was communicated to the person referred to explaining that they did not meet the criteria for the subject in full.
The individual referred to was informed that upon successfully addressing the shortfall area through further study, the subject would be added to their registration.
Following a request from the person referred to, they have been offered the benefit of a second assessment by a second advisor. The second advisor’s recommendation is listed for the next Qualification Panel on 19th September in accordance with Teaching Council regulations and procedures. The individual referred to by the Deputy will be informed of the Panel’s decision as soon as possible after the meeting.
The person referred to has been updated in this regard and has been communicated with on numerous occasions throughout the application process including from the Qualification Assessment Manager.
