Vol. 495 No. 2
191 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of qualified substitute teachers; the proposals, if any, he has to deal with this difficulty over the course of the coming school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Since coming into office, I have been concerned at the large number of untrained personnel working as substitutes within the primary school system. While I acknowledge that many of these persons have made a contribution to the primary educational system, there is a need to ensure that as far as possible only qualified personnel are employed to perform substitute teaching.
For these reasons, I have introduced a range of measures which are designed to boost substantially the supply of trained teachers. Soon after my appointment I increased the number of primary teacher training places. This year, I have ensured that there are over 1,000 places available in the colleges of education during the current academic year. This includes 730 students who will pursue the three year B. Ed. degree programme while 280 degree holders will be admitted to an 18 month full-time post-graduate course.
Additionally, B. Ed. graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualification will be recognised as fully trained.
I am also examining the possibility of the University of Limerick providing a one-year conversion course for degree holders who hold the Higher Diploma in Education and who either have Irish as part of their degree or have Irish to grade C at the leaving certificate or its equivalent.
The existing body of untrained substitutes can in general terms be distinguished into three broad categories.
Firstly, there are those who hold a primary degree and the Higher Diploma in Education. From 1 September, 1998, all primary degree holders who also hold the Higher Diploma in Education will be recognised as fully trained for the purposes of providing substitution service provided that they have Irish to grade C at higher level leaving certificate standard or its equivalent.
