Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 207: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of pupils from an area (details supplied) who have registered and graduated from each teacher training college over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24585/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In 2003, my Department informed each of the Colleges of Education of its support for the inclusion of the Bachelor of Education Degree programme within the Direct Application Scheme for third level places in order to facilitate socio-economically disadvantaged school leavers who wished to train as primary teachers.

The Direct Entry Scheme, with a maximum of 5% of all entrants, excluding those entering under the mature persons competition, is administered in the two biggest teacher training colleges — St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. St. Patrick's College commenced the scheme in 2004, Mary Immaculate in 2005. Details on the numbers of entrants under this scheme to these Colleges are provided below. The minimum entry requirements specified by my Department for admission to the B.Ed. programme applies to entrants via this scheme in the same way as to all other applicants.

The other three Colleges of Education — Froebel, Colaiste Mhuire, Marino and CICE are officially part of the Higher Education Direct Access Route (HEAR), which prior to 2005 was known as the Higher Education Direct Access Scheme (HEDAS). Under this scheme there is a 15% maximum intake for the disadvantaged, disabled, and mature streams in aggregate. It is roughly 5% for each of the three categories but this will vary from year to year according to the number of applications received. My Department is currently seeking data on the number of entrants from disadvantaged areas under the direct access scheme to these three colleges and will forward them to the Deputy directly when received.

Below are the figures for Entrants and Graduates under the Direct Entry Scheme to St. Patrick's and Mary Immaculate College: