Question for teachers of Irish/Gaeilge

UnLuckyAgain

According to the Teaching Council, to register as a qualified teacher of Irish, you need to have evidence of 3 months residential experience in a Gaeltacht area. However, most degree courses only offer 2 weeks residency during the course of study.

So I was wondering, how any other teachers of Irish out there have managed to complete their 3 months? Any ideas are welcome!

Rosita

I was never asked to provide independent verification of attendance in the Gaeltacht when registering as an Irish teacher. It seemed to be seen as part and parcel of doing the degree that the requisite time was spent in the Gaeltacht. Not sure if that totted up to three months overall - and I was unaware of that stipulation to be honest - but I'd be surprised if there were any Irish degrees course where you spent just two weeks in the Gaeltacht. That doesn't average even a week a year. But I could be wrong.

If there are degree courses with such minimal Gaeltacht contact there are plenty of courses that can be done in the Gaeltacht independently anyway.

dambarude

You're not getting mixed up with the three week requirement for primary teachers are you?

UnLuckyAgain

No I'm not mixing them up, according to the Teaching Council's special requirement listing for Irish it says:

"• Residential experience of at least three months in an area designated as a Gaeltacht area"

I just thought it was strange that most degree courses don't facilitate 3 months in the Gaeltacht as part of studies. But like Rosita said, there are plenty of independent courses available...

gaeilgebeo

Same as the above posters, I was never asked to prove time spent in the Gaeltacht when registering. Spending time in the Gaeltacht was not even a part of my degree.

Micilin Muc

That sounds crazy. There are some degree courses that don't provide any residency courses.

Is there no either/or option? For example, entry to some post-graduate courses stipulate that candidates have an honours degree or 3 years experience in the field ...

UnLuckyAgain

gaeilgebeo wrote: »

Same as the above posters, I was never asked to prove time spent in the Gaeltacht when registering. Spending time in the Gaeltacht was not even a part of my degree.

Oh really? That's comforting to know anyway, was just curious as it seems to be unheard off with most Irish teachers! Seeing as the Teaching Council are often strict with regards to registration conditions, I just wanted to check!

Thanks everyone!

Ollchailin

UnLuckyAgain wrote: »

According to the Teaching Council, to register as a qualified teacher of Irish, you need to have evidence of 3 months residential experience in a Gaeltacht area. However, most degree courses only offer 2 weeks residency during the course of study.

So I was wondering, how any other teachers of Irish out there have managed to complete their 3 months? Any ideas are welcome!

That's mad, I never heard of that & I've been teaching Irish for over 6 years now! My degree only required that you spend a measly weekend in the Gaeltacht!

I'd say if I added up all the time I've spent as a "resident" in the Gaeltacht, I'd only come up to 2 months. I've gone on holidays and stuff, but that's not what they're looking for. I'd say the Teaching Council would be hard pressed to find teachers that could come up with 3 months. It mightn't be a bad idea, but given that the 3 weeks that primary teachers have to do one summer tends to turn into a bit of a piss-up, it's not worth it unless done properly.

UnLuckyAgain

Ollchailin wrote: »

That's mad, I never heard of that & I've been teaching Irish for over 6 years now! My degree only required that you spend a measly weekend in the Gaeltacht!

So Ollchailin, you just applied for registration and there was nothing said about your Gaeltacht residency? And if you don't mind me asking, where did you study Irish?

Ollchailin

UnLuckyAgain wrote: »

So Ollchailin, you just applied for registration and there was nothing said about your Gaeltacht residency? And if you don't mind me asking, where did you study Irish?

Nope, was never asked about it- not that I remember anyway. And I've worked with over a dozen Irish teachers at this stage and have never heard any of them talking about this. We've had our rants over the Teaching Council and this surely would have been mentioned at some stage if any of us knew about it!

I studied in UCC- great degree, gained a lot from it. HDip there was a load of crap, complete waste of time other than getting the piece of paper at the end, learned next to nothing from it!!!

UnLuckyAgain

Well thanks for that Ollchailin, now my mind is at ease! How did you find job prospects with regards to having Irish? Rumour has it that its one of the more desirable ones to have!

Ollchailin

UnLuckyAgain wrote: »

Well thanks for that Ollchailin, now my mind is at ease! How did you find job prospects with regards to having Irish? Rumour has it that its one of the more desirable ones to have!

I'd have to say it definitely is one of the better ones. I don't know of many teachers with Irish who had to wait too long to get work. Now it helps of course if you're flexible about where you work, and you might not get full hours straight away. But I've never had trouble getting work anyway, thankfully!

gaeilgegrinds1

We were out there two weekends and a fortnight a year minimum. And most chose to go out more. But we were never asked to prove this!

seachto7

Hi all,

I have a bit of a query some Gaeilge teachers may be able to help me with.
I graduated in 1999 with a BA in European Studies (French and Gaeilge) in UL.
It turns out only my French is eligible on the www.pac.ie site. No mention of Irish beside European Studies on the list of recognised courses.

So, I am going to proceed and get my qualifications assessed, but it is unlikely my Gaeilge will be approved.

So, if that is the case, what do I need to do if I eventually would like to teach Irish in post primary. Do I need to do a degree in Irish all over again? Or can I make up the shortfall somewhere?

UnLuckyAgain

seachto7 wrote: »

So, if that is the case, what do I need to do if I eventually would like to teach Irish in post primary. Do I need to do a degree in Irish all over again? Or can I make up the shortfall somewhere?

If this is the case, you can find out from the TC how many credits short you are, and apply to universities e.g as an occasional student, or on the B.A Part-time course in UCD to make up for the shortfall.

But your first move should be to find out how many credits you need to take AND what types of modules you need (for example, you may be short credits to do with Irish literature)

seachto7

Thanks for your reply. So, do you think I still should put my qualifications forward for assessment?
In theory I could choose European Studies and French as being eligible. I only need to get the "Gaeilge" part of my qualification assessed.
I could potentially find this out from U.L. without having to pay €200...

UnLuckyAgain

If Gaeilge was worth at least 30% of your degree (54 ECTS), over a period of 3 years, and you studied a 'substantial amount of Irish literature', then you should be eligible. However, there is the stipulation of Gaeltacht residency, although as you can see from this thread, different teachers have had different experiences with this criterion.

Ultimately, it is the TC who decide your eligibility, so you really should contact them as they have the final say so!

seachto7

yeah, I think I'll fire on and get it assessed....

seachto7

Hi all,

A quick one. I need to submit my undergrad degree to get one subject, Gaeilge, assessed.
The course itself is on the list of approved degrees, but it's one subject I wish to get assessed.
Can I proceed with the PAC application and tick that my degree is recognised, or do I have to wait until I get confirmation from the Teaching Council...

Seanchai

I hope the mod doesn't mind my bumping this up.

Like others, I have to fulfil the 3 months residency in the Gaeltacht. I hope to do a month of that this summer so I'm looking at the finances and they are stretching me. My question therefore is: is there any funding or tax rebate to assist me with this expense?