Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 60: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the decision taken to downgrade the postgraduate diploma in education at University College Dublin from level nine to level eight; and if he understands the difficulties that this will now impose on students especially after they had enrolled in the course and paid registration fees and who now feel the course they are studying has been devalued. [34861/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Following detailed consultation between the Irish universities and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) in the context of the ongoing process of implementing the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), the universities, including University College Dublin, have agreed that the initial post-primary teaching qualification, hitherto known as the Higher Diploma in Education and latterly as the Graduate or Postgraduate Diploma in Education, is to be formally included for the first time in the NFQ at Level 8 with immediate effect.

All qualification titles used prior to 2011 (i.e. legacy titles) are also included in the NFQ at Level 8. The qualification will now be known as the Professional Diploma in Education, to avoid confusion with any Level 9 award type.

Universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and my Department does not have any function in relation to their academic affairs, including decisions concerning course provision and post-graduate fees.