'I feel like an idiot': Portobello Institute graduates left unqualified for teaching jobs
Since graduating with her MA in 2025, a student who spoke with the 'Irish Examiner' said she has been unable to register with the Teaching Council. File picture: Colin Keegan/Collins
“I felt like an idiot. What a waste of two years, and how much work I put into it, and I got absolutely nothing out of it.”
It’s far from the sense of achievement and pride a student should feel after completing any course taken to further their career, never mind a master’s degree.
But, having undertaken an MA in inclusive education in the hopes and understanding that she would become a special education teacher, one student, who asked not to be named, feels nothing but regret.
She spent €6,000 on the qualification through private college Portobello Institute, which she completed across two years. She did so through online learning while she continued to work as a busy SNA in a primary school autism class, with the full support of her principal.
But since graduating with her MA in 2025, she has been left unable to register as she intended with the Teaching Council.
“They don’t recognise the college at all,” she told the .
She repeatedly tried to raise her concerns about the relevant qualifications with Portobello Institute both during her studies, and afterwards. She even tried to raise the issue with the former Minister for Education Helen McEntee through parliamentary questions asked by her local TD.
She had almost made her peace with it. That was until last week when she saw a story in this newspaper about graduates of a diploma course in physical education offered by Portobello Institute left unable to register to work as teachers.
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Most of the students of this course, who completed the diploma in question between 2022 and 2025, have not met the Teaching Council’s requirements to register — a requirement to teach in Ireland.
A figure for the exact number of affected students has not been provided, although it has been sought by the .
It is understood to be in the double digits. It has prompted a wider review of Portobello’s website to “improve the clarity and accuracy of information provided to learners across other programmes on offer”, according to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
This review was initiated off the back of a “shared concern” by QQI and the Teaching Council that information provided to learners on the graduate diploma in PE is “misleading”.
However, the is aware of at least another five students who also completed courses with Portobello Institute who have encountered unanticipated difficulties registering with the Teaching Council.
The council accredits programmes of initial teacher education only. This includes traditional routes through the CAO, with a four-year undergraduate course, or through a professional masters in education, a two-year post-graduate course. These are available through long established colleges like Mary Immaculate College and various universities as well as the private Hibernia College. There are then five routes to register as a teacher in Ireland.
“I work in an ASD class, and I really wanted to get into teaching,” the student explained. “I had my route 3 from my early years course at Mary I. With that you have three years to complete a course to keep your route three.”
She signed up to the course with Portobello with the understanding that it would open up the route four option to registration. “So, I wouldn’t need my route three anymore.”
Emails sent by Portobello, and seen by the , in September 2023 references the student’s intentions with the MA.
“Many thanks for your interest in the Masters programmes that we offer here at Portobello Institute and for taking my call earlier today,” it says. “As discussed, you have your Level 8 BA (Hons) Degree and you are interested in the MA in Inclusive Education in order to gain your teaching council number (route 4).
“This MA has been developed to meet the needs of professionals working in the area of early childhood, including teachers, early years professionals, SNAs, social workers, and family support workers in both statutory and independent sectors.”
The student started the course in October 2023.
“It was online, it was two years, and I could work and do my MA in the evening time.”
However, the route four process was updated by the Teaching Council in December 2023. She learned of the change in 2024, now well into her course.
The council also would not accept her MA from Portobello under route three. When this was queried by her local TD on her behalf in 2025, Portobello said in response, the MA inclusive education and special education needs “is not a teaching qualification”.
Graduates can try to register through ‘Route 4 - Hold a special education teaching qualification obtained outside the State’ as the programme is accredited by The University of Essex, it added.
The course “is not and has never been advertised as, a teaching qualification”, the email said.
However, another student who spoke to the also believed the same MA course would lead her to a qualification as a special education teacher. She also works full-time as an SNA.
“In my opinion, I’d be a great addition to a school,” she said.
“Special schools are always looking for staff, they can’t get staff and there’s people here willing to go in, and they can’t.
“It would honestly be a dream come true, being able to become a special educational teacher. I’d absolutely love it but it’s not feasible for me at the minute to go and do Hibernia, or move down to Mary I.”
Two students of courses offered between Portobello Institute and Liverpool John Moores University also spoke with the about the unanticipated difficulties they have faced attempting to register with the Teaching Council. In 2025, the council revised regulations around teachers who qualified outside of Ireland for a limited time.
This “timebound provision” was intended to make it easier for teachers who trained abroad to be recognised in Ireland by allowing them to complete induction here.
The Level 9 MSc physical education and the postgraduate certificate in Education International was offered in Ireland by Portobello through blended learning. The course is currently “ not open to new applicants” per its website.
The students who spoke with the are Irish, and have experience working in Irish sport and education.
With the Level 9, both hold qualified teacher status in England. Their difficulties began when they attempted to register here with the Teaching Council through the timebound provision.
One student was asked in January to provide further evidence to address two cited shortfalls. When he submitted academic evidence to the council, he was then told he had four shortfalls. After submitting further academic evidence, he was then told he had not studied the required areas to sufficient “depth”.
“Despite almost 10 months of engagement with the process, I have still never been told precisely what that required academic depth means or what substantive academic content I am actually missing,” he said.
The second student has also been unable to register.
“I would just love somebody to take ownership or accountability for this because we’ve spent quite a bit of money now, and we’re no further forward than where we were nearly four years ago.
"Through the conversations with the Teaching Council, they’re telling me that the only way to basically become a fully qualified teacher is now to again enroll in a PME through the likes of Hibernia or through the likes of UL, which is going to cost me another couple of grand, and it’s going to take at least two years to complete.
“Its knocking the can down the road in terms of trying to get on the teaching ladder. I just want somebody to take accountability. I would love to know how many people are affected by this.”
In a statement, Portobello Institute said it is “aware of recent commentary concerning its graduate diploma in physical education.
“We are continuing to work constructively with the relevant stakeholders towards a resolution of the outstanding matters. Our priority remains, as it always has been, the interests of our students and graduates. We remain committed to providing high-quality educational programmes that support our students in progressing towards their chosen careers. Given the ongoing engagement with the relevant parties, we do not believe it would be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
A spokesperson for the Teaching Council did not provide a figure for the number of students who undertook courses at Portobello Institute who are now experiencing issues registering.
“In many instances, applicants put forward different qualifications, and not just one, for assessment.
"This could include, for example, diplomas or certificates in areas that are relevant to the subject being assessed and which may contribute to the overall assessment outcome.
"As such, applicants who have completed the same diploma may receive different outcomes, depending on other qualifications obtained and included in their application”
- Jess Casey, Education Correspondent
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