The Teaching Council, the professional standards and regulatory body for the teaching profession, has awarded professional accreditation to six programmes of teacher education designed for teachers in the further education sector. These are the first such programmes to be approved in the State.

With effect from 1 April 2013, applicants for registration for the further education sector must have attained a Council approved teacher education qualification in addition to meeting degree qualification requirements. This is in line with Regulation 5 of the Teaching Council Registration Regulations which aim to achieve consistent standards in qualifications required to be a registered teacher across three sectors – Primary, Post-Primary and Further Education.
The programmes now accredited are:

• Professional Diploma in Education (Further Education), Open Learning Centre, NUIG
• Graduate Diploma in Adult & Further Education, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
• Postgraduate Diploma in Arts in Learning and Teaching, National College of Ireland, Dublin
• Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Teaching in Further Education & Adult Education, Waterford Institute of Technology
• Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Further Education, Waterford Institute of Technology.
• Higher Diploma in Further Education (HDFE), NUIM

The purpose of the qualifications is to provide teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences to be able to carry out their teaching role and responsibilities. Graduates of these programmes will be eligible to apply for registration as a teacher with the Teaching Council for the purpose of teaching in the further education sector.
Commenting on the accreditation of these programmes, Council Chairperson, Micheál Ó Gríofa, said:
The approval of these programmes is hugely significant as it will bring greater uniformity to the teaching profession across all sectors. It is particularly significant for the Further Education sector and I have no doubt that it will contribute to higher standards of teaching, knowledge, skill and competence in that sector. I commend the colleges and universities for their innovative response to the Council’s new requirements and I wish to assure them of the Council’s support as they move from design to delivery of the programmes.

For further information about registration, please click here.
Information on each of the above programmes may be found on the provider’s website.
 

In March 2011, the Teaching Council approved the General and Programme Requirements for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Qualifications [Further Education]. These will be used by the Council when assessing and accrediting further education teacher education programmes being offered by Higher Education Institutions.

In accordance with Regulation Five of the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations, 2009, with effect from 1 April 2013, applicants for registration for the further education sector, must have attained a Council approved further education teacher education qualification.

Programme providers may wish to submit programmes leading to a teacher education qualification for professional accreditation in accordance with Section 38 of The Teaching Council Act, 2001. Information regarding submission of programmes is outlined in Section 2.1 of the General and Porgramme Requirements. Submissions must be made using the Pro Forma (download both documents below).

Any enquiries in relation to this report should be addressed to ailish.murphy@teachingcouncil.ie

Further Education: General and Programme Requirements for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Qualifications

Pro Forma for the submission of programmes of initial teacher education (further education) for accreditation