Primary Teaching

katyk

I also really want to get into primary teaching but didnt do honours Irish for my leaving. I have been working in an unrelated area for the last few years and only decided a while ago that teaching is what I want to do.
From what I can gather
1. I am already way too late to apply for the HDip in Education.
2. I cant apply in Dec because I will have missed the opportunity to re sit the LC Irish exam this summer. Therefore I will need to wait until 2008 to begin my HDip.
Does anyone know any way of getting around this as I am eager to start my HDip next year. I read that a Diploma sa Gaeilge from NUI would suffice but I cant find any information on this course from their website.
I wouldnt be in a position to move to England to do the primary teaching post grad there, I would probably need to stay in Ireland.
Does the online Hibernia course have the same entry requirements? Is it as good as doing the course full time?

I appreciate your advice.
Thanks!

spurious

As far as I know St. Pat's have a post-graduate course for teaching.

See: http://www.spd.dcu.ie/main/prospective_students/postgraduates.shtml

Kinetic^

spurious wrote:

As far as I know St. Pat's have a post-graduate course for teaching.

See: http://www.spd.dcu.ie/main/prospective_students/postgraduates.shtml

They do, however the competition for places is extremely high and not even people who have done the degree in Pats are assured of a place.

Trotter

Hmm Ive sure we've discussed all this before.. anyway..

Post Grad routes to primary teaching..

1. Get onto one of the Ireland based courses (Once you have an honour in LC Irish).

They include.. Mary I in Limerick, Froebel, Marino, and Pats in Dublin, and Hibernia.

You apply to the first group (Excluding Hibernia) around October and decide between A) Mary I and the other Dublin colleges. (You cant apply to both A and . These post grads are VERY hard to get into.

Hibernia is tough to get into also, but at the moment is run twice a year. Entry requirements for Hibernia are equally as stringent as the others.

The only option for getting into primary without an honour in LC Irish is to qualify in the UK with a PGCE course (1 Year) and then come back with that qualification. You then have 5 years to pass the SCG Irish exam which is similar to the LC hons.


Does that clear things up? When I have time I'll post a definitive guide to post grad entry to primary courses and sticky it.

eruanna

katyk wrote:

I wouldnt be in a position to move to England to do the primary teaching post grad there, I would probably need to stay in Ireland.

Did you know you get a bursary of about £6,000 to do a PGCE in the UK? It might help you move if it's a financial issue...

Apart from that, to do primary teaching in Ireland I think you would need to repeat your Irish Leaving.

katyk

Is the grant gauranteed, or is it only in certain circumstances? I was looking up the website for courses in the UK and think it might be an option after all. Do you know can you study in the UK and then come back to Ireland to work straight away or do you have to teach for a while in the UK first? Also, is your qualification definately recognised when you come back to Ireland and are you at any disadvantage having this qualification and not the one from one of the colleges in Ireland??

eruanna

If you just have a degree I think it's guaranteed, but I'm not sure where you stand if you already have a Masters. Someone told me you might not get it in that case, but I don't know where they heard that.

You can study in the UK and come straight back over, but you have to do your probation/dip year here instead which you can't do before you've done the Irish exam or the Catholic cert, as far as I know. So by coming straight back over here, you're technically on probation for longer. It'd be easier logistically to do it in the UK, as they tend to set you up in a school for your probation year and in Ireland it can take longer as you may find it hard to get a full year's work initially. But at the same time, the system is far more relaxed in Ireland and there's less paperwork involved!

I don't think you're at any real disadvantage, apart from possibly the Irish standpoint. You would also have to get used to the Irish curriculum and ways of doing things.

kittex

They only set you up for your probationary year if you're in Scotland. In England and Wales you have to find your own position for your first year of teaching.

PS: How did the interview go eruanna?

katyk

So am I right in saying then that I can go to the UK, study for the year and then come straight back and teach in Ireland as a fully qualified teacher without having done a years probationary teaching in the UK.
From what I can gather, I only need to do the probationary year in the UK if I want to teach in the UK, its not a requirement to teach in Ireland. Is that right?

kittex

In the UK you only gain full registration with the Teaching Council after your probationary period. Until then you have interim or provisional registration and you are not a fully qualified teacher.

Trotter might know better but the Dept. of Ed. told me....to teach as a qualified teacher you would need to be registered by the relevant teaching body in the country you trained in before transferring to Ireland.
If I was fully registered in the UK, then they told me I'd have to do an exam but no probation. Pretty much the same to go to Canada or Oz.

Although I know folk who do just come back and teach fine, under what status, I don't know.

Trotter

kittex wrote:

In the UK you only gain full registration with the Teaching Council after your probationary period. Until then you have interim or provisional registration and you are not a fully qualified teacher.

Trotter might know better but the Dept. of Ed. told me....to teach as a qualified teacher you would need to be registered by the relevant teaching body in the country you trained in before transferring to Ireland.
If I was fully registered in the UK, then they told me I'd have to do an exam but no probation. Pretty much the same to go to Canada or Oz.

Although I know folk who do just come back and teach fine, under what status, I don't know.

I know a lot of people who applied for jobs in Ireland during their 1 year PGCE course in Wales and England and who came back here that september into fulltime jobs. They had to do the SCG and apply for their dip year the same as anyone else. I know one girl in particular who did the course 2 years ago in England and who got her dip year finished successfully last month in Ireland after applying for the job while she was still in the PGCE course.

I often find the information from the department depends on who you talk to in there. Unless the rules have changed recently, you can come back straight away and be a fulltime teacher under probation until you have the SCG Irish done, and the dip of course.

If I hear different, I'll post here.

kittex

Trotter wrote:

I often find the information from the department depends on who you talk to in there.

Absolutely!

katyk

Thanks for all your help. Sorry about all the questions but I rang the teaching council and they dont seem to know much about any of this.

So just to confirm, even if you study in Ireland, you have to do a year of probation (your Dip year) over here before you are fully qualified? So essentially, I would be studying in the UK and coming back here to do my probation year, and then after that I am fully qualified?
Are you on a lower salary for that year?

Also, I rang the teaching council about the PGCE and they said that your PGCE that you get in the UK isnt neccessarily recognised over here. They said you have to do your PGCE and then when you get back to Ireland, apply to the council to find out if your PGCE is recognised (€150 fee to do this!!) I already have to pay €150 to find out if my degree is recognised. Im not sure why its so expensive, anyone know? They said that I cant apply to have the PGCE recognised until Ive completed it. So what happens if you come back and they say that your PGCE isnt recognised? Trotter how did your friends get jobs whilst they were doing their course, did they not need to have their PGCE completed and recognised by the teaching council over here first.

Thanks again!:)

Trotter

katyk wrote:

Thanks for all your help. Sorry about all the questions but I rang the teaching council and they dont seem to know much about any of this.

So just to confirm, even if you study in Ireland, you have to do a year of probation (your Dip year) over here before you are fully qualified? So essentially, I would be studying in the UK and coming back here to do my probation year, and then after that I am fully qualified?
Are you on a lower salary for that year?

Also, I rang the teaching council about the PGCE and they said that your PGCE that you get in the UK isnt neccessarily recognised over here. They said you have to do your PGCE and then when you get back to Ireland, apply to the council to find out if your PGCE is recognised (€150 fee to do this!!) I already have to pay €150 to find out if my degree is recognised. Im not sure why its so expensive, anyone know? They said that I cant apply to have the PGCE recognised until Ive completed it. So what happens if you come back and they say that your PGCE isnt recognised? Trotter how did your friends get jobs whilst they were doing their course, did they not need to have their PGCE completed and recognised by the teaching council over here first.

Thanks again!:)

As far as I know, my friends got in by telling principal what mark they were expecting in their post grad.

What I always did was look for colleges in the UK that people have come home and got recognition for. I know for example that people have got jobs here from Liverpool Hope University , Aberystwyth (sp?), etc.

As for the dip year, I think the wages are the same. Im not 100% sure though.

eruanna

kittex wrote:

PS: How did the interview go eruanna?

Only seeing this now - sorry! It went quite well, I think... I'll find out in a week how I did. Unfortunately, it was for a waitinglist, so even if I've done really well I'm still not guaranteed a place!

Shinzer

Hey im totally new to this site but my story is that i was sub primary teaching from Jan till May this year and loved it! Im just finished my degree that has nothing got to do with teaching! I only have pass level Irish but I plan to sit the Irish Hons paper in 2007 and go on to the post grad from there! My question is can i continue to Sub teach for the year without the Irish?? Please help! So glad i found this site

Trotter

Shinzer wrote:

Hey im totally new to this site but my story is that i was sub primary teaching from Jan till May this year and loved it! Im just finished my degree that has nothing got to do with teaching! I only have pass level Irish but I plan to sit the Irish Hons paper in 2007 and go on to the post grad from there! My question is can i continue to Sub teach for the year without the Irish?? Please help! So glad i found this site

Welcome aboard Shinzer. Yes you can continue to sub without the Irish. You could in theory sub without the degree even.. but in reality most of the people who started subbing recently have one. Once you have the Irish you're ready to rock with a post grad course to set you up for fulltime.

Where abouts were you subbing? Which post grad do you intend on applying to?

Shinzer

Hey. Thanks so much for replying. I was sub teaching in Ballyfermot. I am currently in a business 9-5 job and hate it. Primary teaching is defo for me i cant believe how passionate im am about it! But i find all the requirements a bit daunting. There is so much info out there that i dont know where to start i was so happy to find this site. So i can sub without the Irish thats a relief.
I plan to sit the Honours irish in 2007. I was thinking about a post grad with Hiberinan online course is this an accredited course? Do the post grad courses accept people with a 2.2 Honours degree? Any further info ya can give me would be fantasic and much appreciated!

Trotter

Shinzer wrote:

Hey. Thanks so much for replying. I was sub teaching in Ballyfermot. I am currently in a business 9-5 job and hate it. Primary teaching is defo for me i cant believe how passionate im am about it! But i find all the requirements a bit daunting. There is so much info out there that i dont know where to start i was so happy to find this site. So i can sub without the Irish thats a relief.
I plan to sit the Honours irish in 2007. I was thinking about a post grad with Hiberinan online course is this an accredited course? Do the post grad courses accept people with a 2.2 Honours degree? Any further info ya can give me would be fantasic and much appreciated!

Hibernia is fully recognised by the department and covers all the necessary areas including Irish so you would not have to sit extra Irish exams like you would have to if you qualified in the UK.

There is big demand for Hibernia places and you get in based on your performance at interview and ability to show them you deserve a place. Part of this interview is as Gaeilge.

Im sure there are people with a 2.2 honours degree on the course, so I dont see that as an issue at all.

This will give you more info http://www.hiberniacollege.net/Default.aspx?tabid=62

Shinzer

Thanks so much your a great help! Any suggestions as how to go about studing the Honours Irish? Will i have to register with the Dept of Ed to sit the exam in 2007? Have u heard of any good Irish learning courses?

Trotter

Shinzer wrote:

Thanks so much your a great help! Any suggestions as how to go about studing the Honours Irish? Will i have to register with the Dept of Ed to sit the exam in 2007? Have u heard of any good Irish learning courses?

There I cant help ya.. I never re-sat the Irish before. Suggestions about studying it.. go to a specific class for it. It'd be easier than doing it on your own. I suppose Fás would be the first point of contact.

darrenoneill33

would somebody with a Pass degree have any hope of getting a place on the post grad course?

darrenoneill33

just the same question again. do ye know anybody who got a place on the course with a pass degree?

kittex

I know people with pass degrees PLUS experience working with young people who secured places on the PGDE in the UK but I don't know about the HDip.

Jezzie

Hello! I'm new to all this but must say it seems a great place to go for advice! I have completed a four year degree with a 2:1 and applied for a PGDE course in Scotland. I have been offered a place in the course on the condition that I complete an access course in English over the Summer. I have to do this as I do not have the sufficient grade from my leaving cert English. I've a few worries about all this as at the moment I am in a job that I like and have reasonably pay etc. it is just the type of hours that I work are crazy and its hard work as its with people with disabilities. While it's good now, I think years down the line it may not be so good when I've a family etc. Anyway my question is- Is it worth going over to Scotland to complete the Summer access course, complete the PDGE course and the complete the Irish tests that need to be down upon my return? All at the risk that I may not pass the Irish test! Also does anyone know about grants available and have any information about the Irish tests that need to be done once I would complete the PGDE course? I would really appreciate anyone's advice as I'm finding it really difficult to decide one way or the other about doing the course!

Thanks!!

hot chick

http://www.scgweb.ie/indexenglish.html

This link should give you a better idea about the Irish exams you'd have to sit when you get back from Scotland. You'd have a few years at least to get your irish up to scratch.

hot chick

hi jaded,
You should start a new thread to ask people about your exam. More people will see it then if u just keep attaching it to every thread already going.
best of luck

Trotter

hot chick wrote:

hi jaded,
You should start a new thread to ask people about your exam. More people will see it then if u just keep attaching it to every thread already going.
best of luck

I've moved it out to a thread of its own. Thanks!
Trotter

sindisko

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for the hibernia course and just heard that even after completing this course, you have 5 years to do a H.dip. I thought that it is a H.dip in itself and once you were finished it, you were fully qualified and finished with study for good. Is this not the case???
Any replies would be really appreciated.
Thanks

Trotter

sindisko wrote:

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for the hibernia course and just heard that even after completing this course, you have 5 years to do a H.dip. I thought that it is a H.dip in itself and once you were finished it, you were fully qualified and finished with study for good. Is this not the case???
Any replies would be really appreciated.
Thanks

Common mistake.. You're Hibernia qualification is a H.Dip. You then have 5 years to complete "the dip" which is your diploma year.. i.e. probationary year where you are assessed by the department of Education inspectorate.

flynnser19

is there any primary degree courses in the north???

ethanb

Mod Edit - Grinds requests go in the grinds forum. Please don't post in the wrong thread when you know its the wrong one. You're just making work for moderators.

Olivia_

Is anybody else getting a little concerned that they have not advertised the hdip in primary yet?? Last year the application forms had been sent out by now.

homercleese

Hi, i realise that this hasnt been active in 6 months,but if anyone can help me, id appreciate it mucho.

Basically,im resitting honours Irish this September (so LC 2009), then intend on doing the Primary teaching course with Hibernia. Now, can i apply for the course with Hibernia (which i assume takes entries for the October class early next year) without yet having the Leaving cert in IRish? Would they give me an acceptance on the condition that i get the Honour when the results come out in August? (I'm 27 now, having worked in Finance for a few years, with a BBS in Finance). Thanks again.

Trotter

homercleese wrote: »

Hi, i realise that this hasnt been active in 6 months,but if anyone can help me, id appreciate it mucho.

Basically,im resitting honours Irish this September (so LC 2009), then intend on doing the Primary teaching course with Hibernia. Now, can i apply for the course with Hibernia (which i assume takes entries for the October class early next year) without yet having the Leaving cert in IRish? Would they give me an acceptance on the condition that i get the Honour when the results come out in August? (I'm 27 now, having worked in Finance for a few years, with a BBS in Finance). Thanks again.

I'm not sure, but I suspect no. The only way to find out is to give them a call I'd say.

BoozyBabe

No, you definitely can't.
I'm one year ahead of you, & I know they used to allow this, but they get so many applications in now, that they won't accept an incomplete applications.

100's of applicants who have all the quals, are turned down each intake, so they defo don't need to accept applications from those without all the quals.

Best of luck with the Irish. I'm just over 3 weeks away from my exams!!!

FJH

Ya Hibernia will only accept "full" applications.

Feb 09 is pretty much full too, btw.

waygook

Kinetic^ wrote: »

They do, however the competition for places is extremely high and not even people who have done the degree in Pats are assured of a place.

Hi Kinetic,

I'm a bit confused by your post

Do you mean people who have done a different degree (i.e. not teaching) in Pat's aren't assured of a place???

Cheers

An Bradán Feasa

waygook wrote: »

Hi Kinetic,

I'm a bit confused by your post

Do you mean people who have done a different degree (i.e. not teaching) in Pat's aren't assured of a place???

Cheers

Pat's have a Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) course. I think this is what Kinetic was referring to.

jimmyeatworld

Hi All,

New to the site.

I am looking into applying for the PGCE in the UK as I do not have an honour in Irish. Based on some information on the site I have some questions.

Trotter, you mentioned in a previous post that you know some people who applied for jobs in Ireland while completing the PGCE and returned immediately into jobs with the requirement to complete the SCG exam and dip in Ireland. For me, this would be the most attractvie option as I would prefer to come straight home.

There seems to be alot of colleges where you can do the PGCE but I would like some information on (1) what colleges a high percentage of Irish students are accepted into and (2) what colleges students are able to enter full time employment in Ireland immediately from.

I assume there are no guarantees for the above questions but any information you can provide anecdotal or otherwise would be very helpful.

Thanks.

lizeob

Trotter wrote: »

Common mistake.. You're Hibernia qualification is a H.Dip. You then have 5 years to complete "the dip" which is your diploma year.. i.e. probationary year where you are assessed by the department of Education inspectorate.

So does that mean after you finish the dip, you have 5 years to try for a 1 year probationary period? As in can you try as many times as u want to do it within the 5 years? Also what kind of questions do they ask you in Irish for the interview. Im completely new to this and have an interview next month?

Liz

E.T.

I think the 5 years has been reduced to 3 at this stage. That's from the date you register with the Teaching Council. The Dip takes place over the course of a few months so you can reapply if you don't pass, but you'd be almost certainly be waiting until the next school year to redo it.

lizeob

E.T. wrote: »

I think the 5 years has been reduced to 3 at this stage. That's from the date you register with the Teaching Council. The Dip takes place over the course of a few months so you can reapply if you don't pass, but you'd be almost certainly be waiting until the next school year to redo it.

I am sorry. I am very confused. What happens after you do your 18 month dip with Hibernia. I am completely new to this. Also when must you register for the teaching council?
Thanks for your help

Liz

E.T.

The probationary period is known as "The Dip". It's not the H.Dip, it comes afterwards.
There's some info on it on the INTO website here
http://www.into.ie/ROI/InformationforTeachers/InspectionandProbation/NewlyQualifiedTeachersProbationandInduction/

This is from the INTO site about TC registration: http://www.into.ie/ROI/InformationforTeachers/InspectionandProbation/NewlyQualifiedTeachersProbationandInduction/TeachingCouncilRegistration/

Newly qualified primary teachers who have completed their initial teacher education in the State are registered by the Teaching Council with the condition of completing satisfactorily probationary requirements, i.e. their full registration is confirmed only when they have completed successfully a probationary process. Most qualified teachers who have completed their initial teacher education abroad are also registered with conditions by the Teaching Council. These conditions may relate to addressing qualification shortfalls, completing Irish language requirements and completing satisfactorily a probationary process.

Registration with probationary conditions is valid for a period of three years from the date of first registration. Failure to complete satisfactorily and within the stipulated time limit the conditions attached to registration by the Council may result in the registration of the teacher lapsing and this may have implications for his/her eligibility for employment in a school.

The time limits set by the Council during which a teacher may satisfy the conditions attaching to his/her registration vary depending on the conditions to be satisfied:
Registration with conditions other than probationary conditions (for example, conditions relating to addressing qualifications shortfalls) is valid for a period of three years from the date of first registration Where teachers are registered with both probationary and other conditions (for example, conditions relating to addressing qualifications shortfalls and probationary requirements), two consecutive periods are allowed: firstly, a period of three years from the date of first registration to complete all non-probationary requirements, and secondly, a period of three years from the date of completion of the non-probationary requirements for completion of the probationary requirements.