Unqualified teachers in Irish schools

Postgrad10

Just a word of advice to make parents/ guardians aware that there are many unqualified teachers teaching your children . In order to be a qualified teacher , you need to have a teaching qualification , garda( police) vetting, and be registered with the Irish teacher's council.
If you are uncertain about your children's teachers , make a list of their teachers and go to
https://gemini.teachingcouncil.ie/services/%21wwv_app_tc_tss.show_public_welcome and check if they are registered

If the teacher is not on the list request to meet the principal , tell them you know that there are plenty of qualified teachers available searching for jobs and insist they find one . Tell other parents and demand qualified teachers for your children. No excuses, no one should set foot in a school without being qualified and registered.

Thank you for reading.

Nidot

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Just a word of advice to make parents/ guardians aware that there are many unqualified teachers teaching your children . In order to be a qualified teacher , you need to have a teaching qualification , garda( police) vetting, and be registered with the Irish teacher's council.
If you are uncertain about your children's teachers , make a list of their teachers and go to
https://gemini.teachingcouncil.ie/services/%21wwv_app_tc_tss.show_public_welcome and check if they are registered

If the teacher is not on the list request to meet the principal , tell them you know that there are plenty of qualified teachers available searching for jobs and insist they find one . Tell other parents and demand qualified teachers for your children. No excuses, no one should set foot in a school without being qualified and registered.

Thank you for reading.

Do you possibly have a vested interest in the school hiring relevant 'qualified' teachers - the name Postgrad would suggest you do.

I'm not against what you say persay - in fact I think only qualified people should be allowed to teach atall. But maybe removing teachers who are not performing would be a better first course of action.

Postgrad10

Not that it matters I choose my name a few years back when I was doing an MSc. You're deviating from the topic I posted . Scary to think of the amount of children being "taught" by unvetted people today . Unqualified means unqualified , would you like to see an unqualified doctor if you were ill?

There's no hope that under performing teachers would be removed as many legal battles would ensue. Eventually they'll retire but for now the focus needs to be on the new generation of teachers.

byhookorbycrook

I was talking to a NQT last week, bemoaning the lack of work, yet she is unwilling to teach more than 20 miles from home.I qualified in the 80s when there were no jobs, no text-a-sub and no mobiles. I went all over the country by public transport for even a single day's work. I got more work then in those schools are time went on.A number of people have gone into teaching believing media hype about the great wages, holidays and choice of jobs.Hence, huge over-supply of teachers.

Postgrad10

My friends and I jump at the thought of a day anywhere. Even with five minutes notice I think you can tell the one's in for the sake of teaching rather than just the wage.

byhookorbycrook

I agree ,of course, Postgrad, but I know that many schools outside of urban areas find it very difficult to find subs at present.

grind gremlin

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Just a word of advice to make parents/ guardians aware that there are many unqualified teachers teaching your children . In order to be a qualified teacher , you need to have a teaching qualification , garda( police) vetting, and be registered with the Irish teacher's council.
If you are uncertain about your children's teachers , make a list of their teachers and go to
https://gemini.teachingcouncil.ie/services/%21wwv_app_tc_tss.show_public_welcome and check if they are registered

If the teacher is not on the list request to meet the principal , tell them you know that there are plenty of qualified teachers available searching for jobs and insist they find one . Tell other parents and demand qualified teachers for your children. No excuses, no one should set foot in a school without being qualified and registered.

Thank you for reading.

I am a teacher myself, and I am aware of a number of qualified teachers who are not registered with the teaching council. I have been registered with them for a number of years.

If you do a little research on the teaching council, you will find a large number of people have not registered as they have apparently done very little to merit the annual fee. (They also have approx 10million sitting in the bank that they cannot spend on hiring staff due to the embargo on employing more public servants).

Unfortunately your method of identifying unqualified teachers is flawed.... A huge complaint of teachers who pay their fee to the TC, is that a number of teachers registered with the council are NOT Qualified. (Despite their claims to uphold the professionalism of the career.)

Also, I am registered with the council with my English name.... yet I teach in a Gaelscoil. I doubt very much that parents would be aware of a sir names as Gaeilge or in English. As a result, I may not show up as being registered unless a search was completed under my english name.

So, in short.... Not all qualified teachers are registered, and not all registered teachers are qualified.......

ShamoBuc

grind gremlin wrote: »

ISo, in short.... Not all qualified teachers are registered, and not all registered teachers are qualified.......

Correct. The Teaching Council need to get their own backyard in order before parents can go to it's site thinking it is the be all and end all for teachers.

Postgrad10

If they can't be bothered registering when qualified , they will no longer be paid . And believe me , the parents of the children in your Gaelscoil know your name in English. It's Irish not rocket science .

byhookorbycrook

Postgrad10 wrote: »

If they can't be bothered registering when qualified , they will no longer be paid . And believe me , the parents of the children in your Gaelscoil know your name in English. It's Irish not rocket science .

I teach in a Gaelscoil, we are known by our first names, parents would never tie my name as I am registered with the teaching council to me.

grind gremlin

Postgrad10 wrote: »

If they can't be bothered registering when qualified , they will no longer be paid . And believe me , the parents of the children in your Gaelscoil know your name in English. It's Irish not rocket science .

We are also called by our first names so I'm pretty sure few, if any students know my sir name in either language.

In most cases, it was never a case of not bothering to register. Many made the decision not to register on the basis that the Teaching Council have not met their remit. People have not registered on principal, it is definitely not a case of not bothering.

Come to think of it.... i don't even know the sir names of most of my co-workers .... except for 2 who have the same first name, so we all refer to them using their first and sir name. To me they are all Múinteoir X or Múínteoir Y.

pooch90

There's also an INTO directive directing teachers not to teach with unqualified personnel.
I have not come across an unqualified teacher since this directive has been issued.

Implying that because someone is not registered with TC means they are not qualified is a ridiculous link to make. Same with Garda vetting.

Qualified is qualified ie relevant college course completed....

killbillvol2

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I agree ,of course, Postgrad, but I know that many schools outside of urban areas find it very difficult to find subs at present.

Not just outside urban areas. I made 43 phone calls to get a sub last Monday.

Mr.Wemmick

I find it hard to believe that a head/principle of a school would not check qualifications and Garda vetting before employing/ allowing someone to work with children in school.

Are the employment records held by the school only or are the names of all teachers registered for payment by a government body/education board?

It seems very risky for a school to employ unqualified teachers especially as there are lots NQTs looking for work, no?

(excuse my ignorance here: moving back to Ireland after some years abroad )

EGAR

I searched my son's teacher and found him but it says his status is conditional and adds *probational*, can someone please shed light on the meaning of this for me?

Thank you.

grind gremlin

EGAR wrote: »

I searched my son's teacher and found him but it says his status is conditional and adds *probational*, can someone please shed light on the meaning of this for me?

Thank you.

Probational means they are most likely in their first year out of teacher training and completing their Dip year- your first year teaching involves being under the supervision of an inspector. They visit you a number of times thoughout the year to observe you teaching.

Or, your sons teacher may have qualified as a teacher in the UK and is currently undertaking an SCG qualification - continuous assessment of your teaching in Irish to be in line with Irish trained teachers. The standard of irish needed to complete the SCG is incredibly high. It involves exams as well as being observed teaching.

Hopefully this helps.

Postgrad10

Nothing to worry about . Your child's teacher has gone through the Process. If they are a newly qualified teacher , they might be on probation until they complete a probationary 300 hours . That's normal.

Postgrad10

Crossed posts

Your a very good parent for caring enough to check

grind gremlin

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Just a word of advice to make parents/ guardians aware that there are many unqualified teachers teaching your children . In order to be a qualified teacher , you need to have a teaching qualification , garda( police) vetting, and be registered with the Irish teacher's council.
If you are uncertain about your children's teachers , make a list of their teachers and go to
https://gemini.teachingcouncil.ie/services/%21wwv_app_tc_tss.show_public_welcome and check if they are registered

If the teacher is not on the list request to meet the principal , tell them you know that there are plenty of qualified teachers available searching for jobs and insist they find one . Tell other parents and demand qualified teachers for your children. No excuses, no one should set foot in a school without being qualified and registered.

Thank you for reading.

I completely agree with Postgrad10 on the need to ensure our children are being taught by teachers who are qualified.

This is true in both primary and secondary school.

I find it ironic, however, that you outline the importance of this fact, while you yourself have stated that you will teach subjects outside of the ones you are qualified to teach.

Here is a quote from one of your posts from a different thread, in relation to subbing:
' I've even known to teach anything including maths and Irish if I have to Which are not my degree subjects Anything to be flexible so I might get a call back! '

From his thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=77613633

Surely this is not in the interest of the students..... or the countless numbers of secondary teachers looking for work.

EGAR

grind gremlin wrote: »

Probational means they are most likely in their first year out of teacher training and completing their Dip year- your first year teaching involves being under the supervision of an inspector. They visit you a number of times thoughout the year to observe you teaching.

Or, your sons teacher may have qualified as a teacher in the UK and is currently undertaking an SCG qualification - continuous assessment of your teaching in Irish to be in line with Irish trained teachers. The standard of irish needed to complete the SCG is incredibly high. It involves exams as well as being observed teaching.

Hopefully this helps.

Thank you, it is his third year teaching at that school. Isn't that a long period to be probational?

grind gremlin

The class teacher may have worked for a time before they were qualified (or while completing their teacher training if they studied with Hibernia College).

The teacher may have qualified in the UK and had to do an irish language qualification initially. A teacher must secure this qualification before they can complete their one year probation (dip year).

There may be other reasons that I cannot think of off hand.

Has the teacher previously worked as a Learning Support / Resource teacher in the school? This might delay their probation.

byhookorbycrook

It's hard for NQTs to get enough work to do their dip, so if a teacher were to be working week to week (say replacing someone on sick leave) they may not have had a chance to do it.

EGAR

grind gremlin wrote: »

The class teacher may have worked for a time before they were qualified (or while completing their teacher training if they studied with Hibernia College).

The teacher may have qualified in the UK and had to do an irish language qualification initially. A teacher must secure this qualification before they can complete their one year probation (dip year).

There may be other reasons that I cannot think of off hand.

Has the teacher previously worked as a Learning Support / Resource teacher in the school? This might delay their probation.

No, he didn't. He started three years ago and he is teaching Junior Infants to 2nd class (it's a small school with only two teachers and one support teacher.

Toto Wolfcastle

He might not have had the form sent off yet to state that he has fulfilled the requirements.

EGAR

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

He might not have had the form sent off yet to state that he has fulfilled the requirements.

Thank you, I have no complaints about him whatsoever, small man loves him and comes home from school happy. I was just wondering what the story was re probation and now I know

johnners2981

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Crossed posts

Your a very good parent for caring enough to check

Agree with Nidot, this thread is obviously just about your own interests, it is actually quite amusing reading some of your posts with you pretending to be motivated only in the interest of students.

You claim one should not set foot inside a school without being registered and qualified, yet during your postgrad you were teaching as an unregistered and unqualified teacher, no?

And what about this "I've even known to teach anything including maths and Irish if I have to Which are not my degree subjects Anything to be flexible so I might get a call back"

Yeah it really seems you are putting students first by teaching them Maths and Irish just to get your foot in the door

Postgrad10

There are other postgrad courses other than a diploma in teaching. I can see where this is going so I'm going to request that the moderators close this thread. I'm glad I raised the discussion anyway.

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Just a word of advice to make parents/ guardians aware that there are many unqualified teachers teaching your children . In order to be a qualified teacher , you need to have a teaching qualification , garda( police) vetting, and be registered with the Irish teacher's council.
If you are uncertain about your children's teachers , make a list of their teachers and go to
https://gemini.teachingcouncil.ie/services/%21wwv_app_tc_tss.show_public_welcome and check if they are registered

If the teacher is not on the list request to meet the principal , tell them you know that there are plenty of qualified teachers available searching for jobs and insist they find one . Tell other parents and demand qualified teachers for your children. No excuses, no one should set foot in a school without being qualified and registered.

Thank you for reading.

Toto Wolfcastle

I'm locking this at the request of the OP. Please do not bring posts in other forums in this forum to use against another poster. It's completely inappropriate and definitely frowned upon on Boards.