Primary or Secondary Training - Which to do

Choclolate

I am going back to college this year to study teaching.

I am unsure which to study - secondary or primary teaching.

Which has the higher unemployment rate or which is easiest to find a job in.

I am 35 and would be qualifying as a maths teacher. (Maths UCD).

Thanks for your help.

gaeilgegrinds1

Get some time in a classroom of both and then decide. Both are hard to secure employment in at the minute but sure where isn't?!

Toto Wolfcastle

It depends on what you would rather do yourself, and which one you are more suited to. They are totally different jobs. Some people are suited to both, but a lot are not.

As gaeilgegrinds said, try to get some experience of both, either by subbing, if there is anything available, or by volunteering. Neither have great prospects in terms of employment so that should not contribute to your decision.

Choclolate

I have tried both, but I am still curious about the job prospects.

Surely one must have more unemployed teachers than the other.

E.T.

Choclolate wrote: »

I am going back to college this year to study teaching.

I am unsure which to study - secondary or primary teaching.

Which has the higher unemployment rate or which is easiest to find a job in.

I am 35 and would be qualifying as a maths teacher. (Maths UCD).

Thanks for your help.

I'm confused - you said you're going back to college to study teaching, and also that you are going to qualify as a maths teacher. Are you going back to college to study Maths teaching or to train as a primary teacher? A degree which qualifies you for secondary teaching doesn't qualify you for primary teaching.

Choclolate

I am trying to decide wether to become a maths teacher or a primary school teacher.

I am awareI will have to study to qualify for either.

But the point of my question is the jobs situation.

There is huge unemployment in both, but which is easier to get a job in.

Thanks

senordingdong

Are you male or female?

Choclolate

Male.

Some poeple have said thet male teachers get an easier run at primary teaching.

But can a board really discriminate against people because they are women.?

senordingdong

Choclolate wrote: »

Male.

Some poeple have said thet male teachers get an easier run at primary teaching.

But can a board really discriminate against people because they are women.?

No, well, I'm not sure if it is technically discriminating.
All I know is that if you are male you are almost guaranteed a job.

Choclolate

Well I am 35 and have completed my Technical degree in UCD.

How many more years would it take me to qualify for primary teaching and wheree would I have to do it.

If anyone knows.

gaeilgegrinds1

You have to get in which involves and Irish interview and an English interview. There are a few different places to do this and an online course. It can be costly aswell. Having a good fluency in Irish and an interest in sport would be looked upon favourably for Primary teaching.

kiwikid

if you are a man your career prospects are good for primary and as a qualified maths teacher it seems your prospects are good there too - according to the meedja anyway. check out educationposts.ie website to see actual jobs advertised.
The primary course is difficult to get into, you need an honour in Irish and to pass an interview with questions in both English and Irish, and it takes up to 18 months to complete. It seems like its a hard slog no matter where you do it.

if i were you and had a good second subject to teach at secondary level i would go with Maths teaching - money seems better as you would *probably* get a permenant post soon enough.

byhookorbycrook

Male or female , in primary there are very few jobs and with the looming budget there will be probably be even less.

Choclolate

Thanks for info.

Had kind of decieded to study secondary school teaching already but wanted to get a full picture.

My next problem is getting into the course.

I scrapped my honours degree and have 10 years experience in science industry - is there any chance of me getting on a course?

Or is this all dead in the water.

kiwikid

it appears that your experience in industry counts for nothing - however i could stand corrected.
You need to log onto PAC and find out what points are allocated to your degree and see if its worth applying for the course. Try sub for free to get an idea if you a) would like to do it (seeing it done first hand would help I think) and also b) see if tis something you think you could do as a fulltime career.

kiwikid

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Male or female , in primary there are very few jobs and with the looming budget there will be probably be even less.

I wonder so why there are loads of people beating down the doors of Teacher Training colleges to get in if there will be no jobs. Are they desperate or dumb in your opinion?

spurious

Neither desperate nor dumb, but they certainly haven't done their homework as regards the job situation. NQTs at second level are currently lucky to get about six or eight hours a week in their first couple of years out. People coming from a previous career need to allow for the very low wages until the forever expected 'rush of jobs' comes.

The urban myth for this year was that the large numbers retiring from the large early '70s intake was going to mean lots of jobs for new teachers, but it didn't, classes just got bigger.

There's also among educators (even trainee ones) a constant (foolish?) hope that someday we will have a government that will stop paying lip service to the future of this country and actually do something to provide each child with a good education.