Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of qualified national school teachers and the number of unqualified national school teachers working in the primary school system; the number of students studying to become national school teachers; if she will project the outcome for the year 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21598/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The total number of teachers teaching in primary schools as at June of this year, was 28,735. 28,117 of that number were qualified primary teachers, a further 175 qualified post-primary teachers but not qualified primary teachers, and 443 were unqualified teachers.

Currently there are 3,213 students pursuing Bachelor of Education degrees in the Colleges of Education, approximately one third of which are due to graduate in 2008. There are a further 299 students pursuing the 18 month Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching) in those Colleges. The number of Post Graduate students represents just one cohort of entrants — February 2007. These students are also due to graduate in 2008. Another cohort will enter in February 2008.

There are a further 775 students currently enrolled in 18 month Post Graduate distance learning course with the Hibernia College. 255 of those are due to graduate in summer 2008, 260 in autumn 2008, and 260 in summer 2009.