Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018
204. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a review of initial teacher education programmes for post-primary teaching is needed in order to ensure an adequate supply of teachers in a wide range of subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22207/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, I convened the first meeting of the Teacher Supply Steering Group, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, on 26th March 2018. The Group met again last month.
The Steering Group will oversee a programme of actions according to strict timelines and clear deliverables. In undertaking its task, the Group is cognisant of the requirement that all persons wishing to teach in recognised schools must meet the professional registration standards and criteria set by the Teaching Council, which is the professional regulatory body for teaching.
The Steering Group is considering the issues that impact on teacher supply, including: initial teacher education policy, provision, funding and support; data/research requirements; policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher mobility/supply; and promotion of the teaching profession. A working group has convened to consider and progress the teacher supply issues relating to Higher Education and initial teacher education will be considered in that context.
The Deputy may wish to note that changes to the duration and content of all initial teacher education programmes were made in response to recommendations in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and were incorporated into the Teaching Council’s Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011.
The increase in duration, to two years for post-graduate Initial Teacher Education programmes, allows for substantial periods of school placement as well as a number of mandatory elements such as Literacy & Numeracy. These reforms are focused on improving the quality of teaching in our schools, which is central to the educational outcomes of our children.
