Getting Into Primary Teaching

SN12

Hi,
Having completed a business degree and working for 5 years I now want to go back and do a post grad in the UK to get into primary teaching. Can anyone recommend a course? Wales or Northern Ireland would be my first choice.

byhookorbycrook

Before you commit to a post-grad, you need to know that things have never been worse in primary teaching.According to the INDO today a "binman" now makes more than a qualified primary teacher.That's presuming you can even get a job. Things don't look like improving anytime soon either.

I would also suggest you do some work helping out in a primary classroom too,primary classrooms have become very different places even over the last 5 years.

If you still want to go for it and it's really what you want ,then do, but don't get fooled by the media telling you what a handy number it is!

You will need to pass an Irish exam when you return too.

Sorry to compound the doom and gloom, but the poor jobs situation in primary teaching cannot be over-emphasised.

Things are much worse than in the last big recession of the 1980s, when they even closed down one of the colleges of education due to cutbacks (Carysford College, where Smurfitt Business School is now)....back then there were less students on the BEd courses, and the 2-year postgrads didn't exist, never mind Hibernia....

Fast forward to 2012, the colleges are still pumping out literally thousands of graduates, not to mention vast numbers who travel to the UK persue their 'dream' of being a primary school teacher hoping to come back to Ireland to teach, with next to no jobs for them. Many are fed up waiting for the phone to ring to get the call to go in for a day subbing here and there, and are packing their bags for the UAE, OZ, NZ etc. I know of three graduates from 2011 who moved to the UK and picked up jobs handy enough, and seem happy even though some aspects of teaching are tougher over there, though the immense levels of paperwork which are part of the package in the UK are sneaking in over here too.

The massive paycuts new graduates have been subjected to has to be in someway demoralising too, where they are in a school (if they get a job) , with their honours degree, many have masters and even PhDs too, plus their postgrad, working alongside teachers who are paid much more for doing the same job. The same thing is happening in hospitals too with new nurses physios etc too, 'lucky' if they get a job but paid far less than their peers. It's tough out there, as Hookorbycrook said, I concur, get yourself into a classroom and get as much experience volunteering as possible before committing to it, with your eyes wide open and the very best of luck

SN12

Thanks for the reply, I know its not going to be an easy route, I plan on weighing up all of the risks. Im just trying to establish which UK courses are recognised in Ireland as its difficult to determine this, there doesnt seem to be a list or anything to refer to. If anyone could recommend a particular UK course or college?