In November 2018, I announced a plan to have one oral Irish examination for students seeking to gain entry to the primary post-graduate programmes run in the four State-funded providers DCU, Maynooth University, Marino Institute of Education and Mary Immaculate College.
Until now, to apply under the post graduate entry route to primary teaching, applicants who had already satisfied the minimum entry requirements in English, Irish and Maths potentially had to do three separate Irish oral examinations. Each oral examination would have taken place on the same day as the interview at the HEIs concerned, adding considerably to the stress on candidates.
I believe the plan that the four institutions of Initial Teacher Education have put in place will streamline the process for primary teaching candidates, who will only have to do one Irish oral test as part of their application for the PME, instead of three. I believe that this will reduce anxiety and help candidates to give their best.
I also wish to draw your attention to my announcement of today in relation to the deferral of the introduction of the new minimum entry requirements for Primary Initial Teacher Education, ITE, students starting a Professional Master of Education from September 2019 to 2020.
This deferral is for students who have commenced an undergraduate degree (as distinct from a Bachelor of Education degree) and are planning to apply for the Professional Masters of Education, PME, for entry in September 2019. This deferral means that those particular students will have to meet the new entry requirements from September 2020, instead of 2019.
I am assured that the necessary arrangements to accommodate students who didn’t make the January deadline are now being put in place.
