Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2014
464. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the mandatory Gaeltacht placement for students training as primary teachers, which was recommended in a May 2012 report from the Gaeltacht working group; the measures she will take to reduce the costs of the placement incurred by students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37868/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra518. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the financial burden facing primary school student teachers nationwide since the abolition of the subsidy granted to B. Ed students to undertake a mandatory Gaeltacht placement as part of their degree; if she will review the situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38256/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 518 together.
Under the Teaching Council Act, 2001, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory regulatory authority to review and accredit initial teacher education programmes. As such it is the Council, not the Minister, that sets out the programme criteria. Changes to the structure and content of the Gaeltacht Placement arose from the Teaching Council's new accreditation criteria, published in June 2011 (Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers) which provide, inter alia, for "an extended and reconceptualised Gaeltacht residency which will now form part of the overall programme and be under the direct jurisdiction of the teacher education providers." The Teaching Council established a Gaeltacht Placement Working Group and published a report in May 2012 which, among other things, provides for the placement duration to be extended to take place in two blocks of two weeks and a common course content across all initial teacher education providers. Initial teacher education providers have responsibility for quality assuring the content, teaching and assessment of the Gaeltacht element of initial teacher education programmes. My Department supports the changes as contributing to overall quality improvement in initial teacher education. A decision was made to abolish payments by my Department towards the cost of attendance at Gaeltacht courses by initial teacher education students with effect from September 2012. In making difficult decisions such as this, priority was given to protecting resources for front line education services as far as possible in the coming years, which is especially challenging with rising numbers of school-going children. The changes to the gaeltacht placement grant were publicised in advance of implementation so that students would be aware of the new arrangements before embarking on Initial Teacher Education programmes. I can appreciate that supporting a student through third level education can be challenging. However, I am not in a position to reinstate funding to this area.
