Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Fitzgerald for his contribution. He has certainly reconfirmed my beliefs and has certainly made a valid point about existing Higher Diploma in Education students. They could be included also. There is an exception being made regarding gardaí. If a survey was carried out on the number of people who trained as gardaí but who are no longer in the Garda and the number of teachers who obtained a B.Ed. degree as opposed to a BA degree — this is because a BA presents a different range of possibilities — but who are no longer in the teaching profession, I would love to know the results. A B.Ed. is a very specific degree for primary teaching. As the Minister of State well knows, there are very few jobs one can get with it, apart from in politics. One needs to supplement such a degree with another.

I believe I am correct in saying that the students who attend colleges of education to do a B.Ed. are subsidised by the Government because the Government knows they will enter teaching after they qualify. Does this not in effect constitute a sort of contract? The idea of the contract is a bit spurious. We all realise those who do a B.Ed. are doing so to teach. All we are asking for is an extension of the exception to a small group of people who are already in the system who were not aware that the goalposts would be move when they entered it.