What subjects can I teach?

curno

Hi Guys,
I'm planning on doing the dip next September and I have a business degree. Now considering the oversupply of business teachers out there I've nay hope of getting in or even getting a job after it. I'd love to teach maths, science, history but is there any way I can teach these considering the business degree I have?
Do I have to go back to college and get a degree in these subjects or do a h.dip in these subjects, before the teaching council would let me teach them?
If I do get into the h.dip next year do I have to do only the business subjects?

Thanks for your help
Alan

Rosita

The PGDE application asks for two teaching subjects to be nominated "which must be taken to degree level".

Obviously in the case of a Business degree this is somewhat less clear than with a BA for example where two discrete subjects are usually studied to degree level, but depending on what you studied it is conceivable that you might be able to teach Maths, but like I said it depends on your own individual circumstances.

This information is taken from the pac website and literature.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION TO TEACH
MATHEMATICS
(In Addition to the General Requirements)
Applicants must provide officially certified evidence of satisfactory achievement in primary degree studies (or equivalent) as outlined hereunder:
- The study of Mathematics as a major subject in the degree extending over at least three years and of the order of 30% at a minimum of that period
- Details of the degree course content to show that the breadth and depth of the syllabi undertaken are such as to ensure competence to teach Mathematics to the highest level in post-primary education
- Explicit evidence of standards achieved in degree studies in Mathematics with at least an overall
Pass result in the examinations in Mathematics


The part below deals with History which is just the example I chose - the same general thing applies to virtually all subjects. A h dip is not sufficient.


SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION TO TEACH
HISTORY
(In Addition to the General Requirements)
Applicants must provide officially certified evidence of satisfactory achievement in primary degree studies (or
equivalent) as outlined hereunder:
- History must have been studied as a major subject in the degree extending over at least three years and of the order of 30% at a minimum of that period
- Details of the degree course content to show that the knowledge and understanding required to teach History to the highest level in post-primary education has been acquired
- History must have been studied as an integral part of the degree course with a substantial element covering Irish and European History
- Explicit details of standards achieved in degree studies in History with at least an overall Pass result in the examinations in History

rainbowtrout

curno wrote: »

Hi Guys,
I'm planning on doing the dip next September and I have a business degree. Now considering the oversupply of business teachers out there I've nay hope of getting in or even getting a job after it. I'd love to teach maths, science, history but is there any way I can teach these considering the business degree I have?
Do I have to go back to college and get a degree in these subjects or do a h.dip in these subjects, before the teaching council would let me teach them?
If I do get into the h.dip next year do I have to do only the business subjects?

Thanks for your help
Alan

No you won't be able to teach science or history. The HDip/PGDE is essentially a teaching qualification, enabling you to teach not to specialise in a subject, you nominate two subjects from your degree as you will specialise in teaching those subjects during the PGDE. You may have maths depending on your degree but the common subjects from Business are Business Studies for JC and Business, Economics and Accounting for LC.

You would have to go back and do another degree if you wanted to teach science or history. It wouldn't say much for qualifications if a person could get a business degree and then be allowed to teach science or vice versa. Jobs are pretty thin on the ground in most subject areas at the moment though. If you do want to teach make sure it's something you like. No point teaching a subject just for the sake of teaching.

Joe1919

Some of the PGDE information material says that holders of a joint degree are eligible providing there is ONE teaching subject.
http://www.pac.ie/hdip/downloads/TRC07.pdf

Is having only a single subject a big disadvantage (History in my case)?

Im going into my final year and looking into possibilities for 2009.

Rosita

Joe1919 wrote: »

Some of the PGDE information material says that holders of a joint degree are eligible providing there is ONE teaching subject.
http://www.pac.ie/hdip/downloads/TRC07.pdf

Is having only a single subject a big disadvantage (History in my case)?

Im going into my final year and looking into possibilities for 2009.

Presumably it is a disadvantage and at least halves job possibilities to have just one main subject, depending on what that subject is. And from what I can gather history would be one with a lot of graduates but with decreasing popularity as a Leaving Cert subject so it wouldn't be considered great. Then again no matter what subject you have there always seems to be someone who knows someone who couldn't get a job.

Joe1919

Thanks for your reply. I am fairly tempted to apply this year as I have good results this year and there is nothing else I can think off doing. It's a pity about the the employment situation been poor but perhaps things will improve.