Seán Haughey
Ceist:284 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science if all primary school teachers are required to have the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21379/02]
Written Answers. - Teaching Qualifications.
In order to obtain full recognition as a primary teacher in this country, teachers must have satisfactorily completed a recognised primary teaching course. In addition, Irish primary school teachers are class teachers as distinct from individual subject teachers and must be able to teach all aspects of the curriculum including the Irish language. Accordingly, fully recognised primary teachers must be qualified to teach the full range of primary school subjects to children aged four to 12 years.
Teachers trained in another member state of the European Union, but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification, must have their qualifications assessed and accepted by my Department, before they are granted a five year period of provisional recognition to teach in national schools. Such teachers must satisfy my Department that they are competent to teach the Irish language and to teach the range of primary school curricular subjects through the medium of Irish before being granted full recognition to teach in mainstream classes in national schools. In order to satisfy the Irish language requirement such teachers must pass an Irish language examination – Scrúdú Cailíochta sa Ghaeilge – and provide certification that they have resided in the Gaeltacht while attending an approved three-week course. It is incumbent on boards of management of national schools to ensure that adequate provision is made for the teaching of Irish to classes of teachers who hold provisional recognition.
My Department also grants restricted recognition to certain Montessori trained teachers and to teachers who have a recognised primary teacher qualification from another jurisdiction but who are not qualified to teach in mainstream national schools because they do not have an appropriate Irish language qualification. Restricted recognition gives eligibility to teach in certain categories of special schools and special classes in mainstream schools where Irish is not a curricular requirement.