From Engineer to teacher

uztop

Hi all,

I am currently a software engineer but I would like to change job and become a maths teacher (in secondary school). I have always liked teaching and I'm sure that it would be much more interesting for me than the job I am doing now (even if I know that the salary will be lower)
The problem is that I am French and I don't know the Irish school system very well. I have seen that a "Higher Diploma in Education" is needed and that there is one year of preparation for it. In France, I have the possibility to present the exam even without doing the official preparation. That's what I am doing and if I succeed, I'll be a teacher in France next year.
I would love to stay here in Ireland so I'm asking you if there is a possibility to present the exam (or to become a teacher in some way) without having to do one year of preparation with no salary. Otherwise, is it possible to convert the French diploma into an Irish one ?
By the way, are foreigners allowed to teach here ? I think they are, but if you could confirm, it would be great.
Thanks in advance for your answers.

spurious

Is your original degree a Maths degree? If not, you will need to do a degree in Maths and then the teaching qualification.

Powerhouse

spurious wrote: »

Is your original degree a Maths degree? If not, you will need to do a degree in Maths and then the teaching qualification.

You don't necessarily need a Maths degree to teach Maths. If this chap has an Engineering degree it is possible, depending on the Maths content obviously, that he will be sufficiently qualified to teach Maths.

His greatest difficulty might - assuming he did his under-grad in France -be trying to persuade the Teaching Council of this.

uztop

thanks for your answers.
I have an engineering degree in computer science. However, for those who know the French school system, I have done much more maths than informatics. The first two years of university in France (classes preparatoires) are only Maths and Physics, and then we still have quite a lot of maths.
I am allowed to do the exams to become teacher in France; I think that I am enough qualified but how can I "persuade the Teaching Council" ?
If you have any information, I would be very interested.

Powerhouse

uztop wrote: »

thanks for your answers.
I have an engineering degree in computer science. However, for those who know the French school system, I have done much more maths than informatics. The first two years of university in France (classes preparatoires) are only Maths and Physics, and then we still have quite a lot of maths.
I am allowed to do the exams to become teacher in France; I think that I am enough qualified but how can I "persuade the Teaching Council" ?
If you have any information, I would be very interested.

I have pasted below firstly the requirements to be able to teach at all. As you will see it does not say that the post graduate in education qualification has to be done in Ireland. Not sure if that guarantees anything but it doesn't close the door on non-Irish qualifications anyway.

The second part dealing with the aspects of your degree who are needed to teach Maths. Essentially you need to be able to demonstrate that 30 per cent of your undergraduate credits are to do with Maths.


SECTION A - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION TO TEACH
Applicants must meet the general requirements at either (1) or (2) below.
(1) Satisfactory Completion of Sequential Teacher Education Qualifications
The applicant must hold the following qualifications from a nationally-recognised university or similar third
level college:
(a) A suitable degree or equivalent award, not including a training-in-teaching qualification, but with
recognised post-primary subject(s) taken as major component(s) of the degree programme. The
duration of such a degree programme must be at least three years of full-time study or equivalent.
AND
(b) A recognised training-in-teaching qualification equivalent to the Postgraduate Diploma in
Education – PGDE (Previously known as the Higher Diploma in Education) The duration of such
a programme must be at least one year of full-time study or equivalent.




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
Additional information (i) where greater clarity is requested or (ii) which would otherwise more fully support the
application must be provided as required.

uztop

it should be ok for the maths level (engineering studies are 5 years long in France and I had more than 30 % of maths).
But I haven't done the PGDE. I send a mail to the Teaching Council to know if the French "CAPES" can be equivalent (it is the exam to become teacher)

bdoo

If you qualify as a teacher in anotherEU member state you can be automatically recognised to teach here. However as outlined the subject qualification is very important and if you dont have this you wont be able toregister. also there may be a requirement to study particular aspects of the history and structure of Irish education and take an exam.

uztop

yes I will first complete my exams in France in order to qualify as a teacher there.
Then, I don't know if I'll have to go back there for one year or so or if I'll be able to stay in Ireland.

clartharlear

As far as I know, your French teaching qualification would have to be recognised in Ireland, as a EU thing. But the Irish teaching council would expect you to pass an exam on history of Irish education, which would be one of the modules of the PGDE.
I recently met someone who has qualified and taught for years in France who has to do this exam this year to be fully registered.

The other issue, of course, is that if you have a job - hold on with both hands! (unless you really hate it) Teaching jobs are scarce.

uztop

clartharlear wrote: »

The other issue, of course, is that if you have a job - hold on with both hands! (unless you really hate it) Teaching jobs are scarce.

you got the point ...
I have always wanted to be a teacher but the French education system is done in such a way that you study engineering even if you don't really want to.