Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, I am glad to have the opportunity to provide clarity on the issue.

Unqualified teachers should only be employed in exceptional circumstances and when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted. The primary sector has experienced a shortage of trained teachers in recent years, mainly as a result of the large number of posts created to reduce class sizes, to cater for pupils in disadvantaged areas and to provide for those with special educational needs. The difficulties being experienced are aggravated by the number of teachers availing of career breaks and job sharing schemes.

The Department introduced a range of measures to address the shortage of qualified teachers and I am pleased the number of unqualified teachers employed in our primary schools has reduced significantly as a result. Some of the initiatives taken since 1999 are as follows. More than 1,000 students have been admitted annually to the B Ed programme in the colleges of education; a postgraduate course was introduced; graduates of the Hibernia course are recognised for employment as primary teacher; B Ed graduates of St. Mary's College, Belfast, who have studied Irish to honours level as an academic subject as part of their teaching qualifications, are recognised as fully qualified; Montessori trained teachers who have successfully completed the three-year full-time course at St. Nicholas College, Dún Laoghaire, which is recognised by HETAC, or the Montessori qualification which is awarded on completion of the three year full-time course in the AMI College, are recognised as fully qualified substitute teachers and to teach in certain categories of special schools, special classes and as resource teachers in primary schools; and fully qualified teachers who trained outside the State are recognised to teach in certain categories of schools and classes without the necessity to hold an Irish language qualification.

With regard to the question of recognition of qualifications, all applications for recognition are considered under the terms of circular 25/00 regarding recognition of teacher qualifications for the purposes of teaching in national schools, and are considered on a case by case basis. In accordance with the circular, where an applicant has a general primary teaching qualification from another jurisdiction, he or she may be entitled to recognition in a provisional and restricted capacity. This would entitle him or her to teach in mainstream classes in national schools, special classes and special schools and in resource teaching posts.

While in Ireland qualifications in special education are undertaken at postgraduate level, it is recognised that in other jurisdictions a qualification in special education may be taken at undergraduate level. In processing applications for recognition, account of this position is taken and teachers holding such qualifications, following consideration of their individual cases, may be granted restricted recognition to work in certain categories of special schools and special classes where Irish is not a curricular requirement and in resource teaching posts in mainstream schools. The Minister is committed to ensuring the shortage of qualified teachers will be eliminated as speedily as possible and her Department will continue to consider new initiatives and keep existing initiatives under review.

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