Seanad debates

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Committee Stage

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

One question around this area is whether there should be different qualifications if one is teaching in a special school as opposed to a mainstream primary school. The issue of having different rules is the question the Teaching Council was concerned about, that we should, in some way, say there is a different standard in terms of qualification. The issue of Montessori is one on which I would like to engage again with the Teaching Council. I have personal experience in this area as does the Senator. In the whole area of early childhood education, Montessori is considered to be a highly valued qualification. The question is, and it is one on which there are differing opinions, whether in terms of the primary school and the post-primary school, which come under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills, one should have different qualifications for special schools as opposed to mainstream schools. The Teaching Council has taken a view that it does not want to say that certain things are acceptable in one type of school and not in another but it is an issue that needs further consideration.

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