Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the Deputy is referring to the criteria for entry to primary Initial Teacher Education.

In addition to the CAO points required (in the case of the Bachelor of Education) or the third level award requirement (in the case of the Postgraduate Masters in Education) for entry to programmes of primary Initial Teacher Education, my Department specifies minimum entry requirements in the core subjects of Irish, English and Mathematics.

In October 2017, I announced changes to these minimum entry requirements, as follows:

Entry 2018 - Irish: H5, English: H7/O5, Maths: H7/O6

Entry 2019 and entry 2020 - Irish: H4, English: H7/O4, Maths: H7/O4

The changes that I introduced took account of advice to me provided by the Teaching Council, which had engaged in a consultation process around a number of matters relating to entry to initial teacher education. Many of the issues identified were complex and the Council commissioned the ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) to carry out research to inform its deliberation.

The changes also had regard to the Department’s policy “Supporting a Better Transition from Second Level to Higher Education – Implementation and Next Steps” (2015).

In determining the revised entry requirements, care was taken not to disadvantage those students who have already commenced the senior cycle and who intend sitting the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2018. Accordingly, I decided that the minimum entry grades for primary Initial Teacher Education programmes should be increased for 2019 rather than from 2018. However, to have applied this criterion to undergraduate students who might wish to apply for the PME at some time in the future, it would mean deferring the changes for four years or more. In the case of graduates who do not meet the new Irish entry requirement, the Deputy might wish to note that there are a number of options available in this regard.

The revision of entry criteria for primary initial teacher education is part of a wider range of actions being implemented or developed to achieve the objective of developing the continuum of teacher education to equip teachers with the right skills for 21st century teaching and learning, and the overall vision of making the Irish education and training system the best in Europe over the next decade. The changes seek to ensure that primary teachers have the capacity to lead in significant and fundamental areas of student learning: English, Irish and Maths.

Further changes to the minimum entry requirements from 2021 onwards will be considered in the light of experience, relevant policy developments and following consultation with relevant stakeholders.

I do not plan to further adjust the minimum entry requirements or to allow exemptions to the requirements, in advance of this.

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to make entering the teaching profession easier for persons who are working full time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6190/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Initial teacher education (ITE) for primary and post-primary teachers is facilitated through a range of concurrent (undergraduate) and consecutive (postgraduate) programmes.

The Teaching Council is the statutory body that sets and upholds the standards for entry to the teaching profession. One of the Council’s responsibilities is to review and accredit programmes of ITE provided by higher education institutions (HEIs). All ITE programmes that lead to registration with the Council must have professional accreditation from the Council.   

Changes to ITE were proposed in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy Among Children and Young People 2011-2020 and incorporated into the Teaching Council’s Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. These changes include the reconfiguration of the course content and increased duration for both primary and post-primary ITE programmes. 

Undergraduate ITE programmes must now be a minimum of four years duration and postgraduate programmes must be a minimum of two years duration.  The lengthened and reconfigured programmes include substantial periods of school placement as central to student teacher development, as well as foundational and professional studies, a Gaeltacht placement.  School placement is a critical part of ITE and is designed to give the student teacher an opportunity to experience teaching and learning in a real environment.

The Deputy will appreciate that the requirements in the Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers, including the student placement requirements, do pose a challenge to the provision of a part-time ITE programme by HEIs. It is open to a HEI intending to introduce a part-time programme of ITE to apply to the Teaching Council for accreditation, but this would have to be arranged so as to meet the requirements of the Criteria and Guidelines.