Limits on trainee teachers’ subject choices
Department of Education secretary general Seán Ó Foghlú told private third- level college leaders that Education Minister Ruairi Quinn wants the State to be able to identify shortages of teachers in subject areas — a move which could help with more effective regulation of teacher supply.
The possibilities are being explored by the department, with a view to ensuring an adequate supply of teachers with the requisite skills.
The issue is regularly raised by second-level schools facing difficulties getting teachers with certain subjects or those capable of teaching subjects to a higher level. The issue is more pertinent since the introduction, in January, of laws that mean only suitably qualified and registered people can be paid from public money for teaching in schools.
Mr Quinn is to be given advice on the issue from the Teaching Council which has been asked to develop a forecasting model.
“There will be a need for a more targeted approach by all providers of initial teacher education to supply teachers with the required skill sets to meet the identified needs of the system,” Mr Ó Foghlú told the Higher Education Colleges Association conference.
“I would see this new process including a new focussing of resources on the areas where future supply shortages and areas for development have been identified,” he said.
The move could see limits on graduates’ ability to study for teaching degrees in a chosen subject, given an apparent oversupply of teachers of some subjects and shortage in other areas.
In a 2012 review of teacher training for the Higher Education Authority, international experts expressed surprise and concern that teacher supply and demand had not been addressed here, compared to other countries. It proposed databases and forecasting systems be developed to ensure enough teachers with the required curriculum specialisms, given an increasing reliance on ‘out-of-field’ teachers at second level.
Mr Ó Foghlú said private higher education has been to the fore in teacher quality and supply, singling out the role of Hibernia College’s online courses in allowing the law requiring teachers to be registered with the Teaching Council to be brought into force. The continuing cap on student places in publicly-funded colleges providing primary teaching courses, in the absence of restrictions on private teacher training courses, was questioned by the international review.
Mr Ó Foghlú told the conference that private third -level colleges play a crucial role in Ireland meeting internationalisation targets in priority countries, currently teaching around 13% of international students here.
A review of the Government’s 2010-2015 international education strategy will be published soon, but HEA figures show full-time overseas student numbers in publicly-funded colleges fell 12% to less than 10,600 from 2009 to 2012.
