Vol. 554 No. 5
793 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to rectify the career damage to art teachers who had attempted to qualify through his Department's technical schools system of art teacher training, and who have now qualified as art teachers at an advanced stage of their careers having completed a special one year course, the National University of Ireland Diploma in art teaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/02]
The final technical schools examinations in art were held in 1988. To enable teachers, who had attempted to qualify as second level teachers of art through the technical schools examinations system but who had failed to do so, gain suitable recognised qualifications for the purposes of appointment as recognised teachers of art, my Department arranged for the provision of a suitable one-year course by the National College of Art and Design in the 2001-02 academic year.
It is proposed to provide the course again in the current academic year. It is expected that the necessary advertisement inviting applications for admission to the course will be published in the near future. A teacher who successfully completes the course in question is recognised as fully qualified and may be appointed in a permanent capacity to a post as a teacher of art and paid at the appropriate point on the incremental salary scale for teachers. Prior to this, the teachers concerned were unqualified and did not qualify for permanent appointment or for advancement on the incremental salary scale.
If the teachers concerned have relevant non-teaching experience, they may qualify for the award of incremental credit in respect of such experience. Applications for the award of incremental credit should be submitted to the relevant vocational education committee in the case of vocational teachers or to my Department in Athlone in the case of teachers employed in voluntary secondary, community or comprehensive schools.
