Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will continue to approve the on-line H.Dip course for primary teachers (details supplied); her views on this method of training; the way in which modules such as drama, music and art are completed successfully; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2366/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The college referred to by the Deputy is a privately-owned institution providing a privately-run course which has been accredited by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, HETAC. In order for the course to secure HETAC accreditation, the college complied with HETAC's quality assurance and validation requirements. The graduate diploma conferred at the end of this course is recognised by my Department for the purposes of primary teaching.

I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department's inspectorate monitors 10% of the final teaching practice students from the college in question, as is the case for the students of the five colleges of education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This process aims to assess the quality of the teaching practice dimension of pre-service education in individual colleges and throughout the system and in this context, the teaching of all curriculum areas is evaluated. The process also strives to provide information on teaching practice to the Department and the individual colleges. In addition, all newly qualified teachers undergo a probationary period, during which their work is evaluated and reported on by my Department's inspectorate.

In the case of the college which is the subject of the Deputy's question, this evaluation process has just been completed by the inspectorate for the first cohort of the college's students who are due to graduate in June 2005.

Analysis and assessment of this work is currently under way and the outcome will be provided to the college covered by the Deputy's question. Feedback on the evaluation of teaching practice is also provided to the five colleges of education in a series of meetings organised by the Department's inspectorate. The provision of feedback to the colleges is normal practice and a valuable means of improving the quality of teaching provided to students.