Richard Bruton
Ceist:228 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the practice of interviewing for aptitude to teaching was dropped before entrance to teacher training colleges. [15756/99]
Written Answers. - Teaching Qualifications.
I understand that in the case of school leavers, the interview process was considered to be over-elaborate and time-consuming for both the colleges and the applicants. Generally, the experience over many years was that only a very small percentage of applicants failed to qualify.
The admission and selection system for primary teacher training has evolved over the years. A competitive interview remains part of the selection process for mature students and for entry to post-graduate courses to train university graduates as primary teachers.