Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 May 1996

Vol. 147 No. 9

Adjournment Matters. - Places on Higher Diploma in Education Courses.

Mr. Daly

I am glad to have the opportunity to raise this matter. I hope the Minister of State will convey my strong feelings to the Minister for Education. I raised this matter in the House last year and on that occasion I was supported by the Leader of the House, Senator Manning. We referred to the limited number of places available for the Higher Diploma in Education and the hardship being caused.

Since a cap was put on the number of places for this course in 1984 there has been widespread concern about the methods of selection and the limit on the number of places available. The lack of availability of places limits the prospects for many graduates to go into the teaching profession. The Minister may consider there are few teaching vacancies and, therefore, it is not wise or responsible to have too many graduates. Changes are taking place in education, one of them being the proposal for early retirement for teachers, which may to some extent create additional opportunities for young teachers.

Although there were about 830 places last year, the allocations to the colleges are as follows: UCG and UCC have 185 places each; UCD has 170 places; Trinity College has 110 places and, St. Patrick's College has 150 places. However, the number of applications to the colleges indicates the critical nature of the problem. UCG, for example, had 1,300 applications — an increase of nearly 400 over last year. It is likely that many of those who were unsuccessful last year applied again this year and I am aware that some people who were unsuccessful last year have been unsuccessful this year. Thus, further frustration, hardship and confusion are created. UCC had 900 applications; UCD had 1,370 applications; Trinity College had 880 applications and, St. Patrick's College had about 1,200 applications.

There has been controversy about the method of selection for places. In St. Patrick's College there is an interview process but in other colleges lotteries are used. In many cases the student's interest in a teaching career is not taken into account. Some students are doing the diploma to have an extra qualification which might entitle them to higher remuneration. Young graduates who do not need the qualification and who may not be interested in going into teaching have been able to get places while others who are interested in teaching as a profession cannot get places.

I hope the Minister of State will use his influence with the Minister for Education to endeavour to increase the number of places and the intake in the colleges. Perhaps preference could be given to students who are making a second or third application over students who are applying simply to gain another qualification for a profession other than teaching. The confusion and hardship caused by the existing arrangements should be reviewed.

I do not expect the Minister of State to solve all the problems. However, if the number of places could be increased to 1,000 for this year, the extra 200 places might be directed at the students who wish to take up teaching as a career. The Minister could do a great service to many families and students if some improvements could be made.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism and Trade (Mr. T. O'Sullivan)

I extend the apologies of the Minister for Education for her absence. The setting of a quota is a common practice internationally for determining university places in a number of specialised disciplines. Such an arrangement exists in Ireland for clinical medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry and teaching.

The number of students on higher diploma course progressively declined from 1,700 in 1977-78 to 600 in 1990-91. In view of this declining demand the Department of Education requested the Higher Education Authority to consider the situation. The Higher Education Authority has the statutory responsibility to advise the Minister for Education on the demand and need for higher education.

Subsequently, a working group representative of the HEA, the Department and the universities was established to review the demand for second level teachers. The working group recommended that the intake to the higher diploma courses should be no higher than 800 in 1994-95. The Higher Education Authority accepted this recommendation and advised the Minister accordingly. The Minister was advised that the quota should be retained at 800 in 1995-96 and 1996-97 and she accepted this advice.

In coming to its conclusions the working group took account of the best available data on demand for second level teachers. The data included such factors as enrolment projections, the estimated teacher numbers required and other statistical information. Other factors taken into account were the wastage of teachers, transition year take-up and the likely additional teaching posts to be approved for the period ahead. These issues had to be balanced against total teacher supply, the output from specialist teacher training colleges, such as ones for home economics, physical education and technology, and the output from Higher Diploma in Education courses.

The removal of the quota on places in H.Dip. courses would not, of itself, enable more students to pursue a career in secondary school teaching. The need for a quantitative restriction or quota for places on H.Dip. courses is based largely on the perceived demand for second level teachers. This, in turn, is related to the employment opportunities for H.Dip. graduates. The most recent data in relation to such employment opportunities are provided in the HEA's report on the first destination of award recipients in higher education in 1994. This indicates that of the 671 H.Dip. graduates who responded to the survey, 38, or 5.7 per cent, had secured permanent teaching posts in Ireland and 355, or 52.9 per cent, were in part-time, temporary or substitute teaching posts in Ireland. The 5.7 per cent getting permanent posts in 1994 compares with 10.8 per cent in 1983 and 57.6 per cent in 1975 when the survey was first carried out.

Removal of the quota could lead to an over-supply of secondary teachers and to a public outcry over the number of teachers who cannot get employment. The Minister for Education's objectives must be to ensure an adequate supply of teachers and to maintain a reasonable balance between the supply of and demand for teachers.

The Minister does not propose, there-fore, to alter the quota for the 1996-97 academic year. However, the Higher Education Authority working group will be reconvened shortly, supported by an analyst and statistician, to undertake an in-depth review of needs for second level teachers in total and to the extent feasible by subject grouping. It will take account of any recent changes in the demand for second level teachers. The quota arrangements for 1997-98 will be determined in the light of the findings of the working group.

Like Senator Daly, as a public representative I have encountered some of these problems and I will convey his concern to the Minister for Education. He rightly pointed out that universities and colleges are problem areas. I am conscious of this because I have received representations in this regard.

Mr. Daly

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Although his contribution was directed more at removing the cap, I would not wish him to do this. An adjustment to the cap would be advantageous. It could perhaps be increased from 800 to 1,000.

The Seanad adjourned at 5.25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 29 May 1996.