Primary teaching without LC Honours Irish

iamyourending

Hey guys,
I'm in 2nd year college at the moment, doing an Arts degree, but have realised I'd love to be a primary school teacher. I had a good leaving cert, but I didn't do honours Irish I got an A2 in pass, so I might have gotten the C3 in Honours, but at the time I didn't want to take the risk. Plus I never thought I'd need it, as primary school teaching didn't even enter my mind.
The reason I'm posting this now while I'm just in 2nd year is because I was thinking of starting to study Irish again on the side, maybe take intermediate classes and work my way up, and when I finish my degree, I'd have the ability to speak/write Irish at a fairly high level.
I'm wondering if the only way around the irish requirement for being able to enter the postgrad primary teaching course is to re-sit LC Honours Irish, or is there another way around it? Like another course or exam, or something?

keelanj69

AFAIK Ucc and the like run l.c irish courses for exactly this type of thing. If they do it then Im sure others do too.

echo beach

All the grind schools offer LC honours Irish or you may find Irish students in your own college willing to give grinds at a reasonable cost.
The new LC course is very focused on spoken Irish and anybody who got an A in pass under the old course and is willing to work at it will get their honour. If there are any Irish language activities in your college or locality join up, you will find it isn't that difficult.

karkar athlete

Dear iamyourending,

I am in the same position as you right now. I am also in 2nd Year arts, but unlike you it was primary teaching that I wanted to do most after school. However I did not receive the points nor get the Irish requirement, getting an agonising D1 - even got it rechecked but of no avail.

I did not take Irish last year as one of my subjects in order for it to qualify as an entry requirement as I believe I would struggle too much with it and then my other subjects would suffer.

I found out though there are several other courses you can undertake instead of Leaving Cert Irish in order to apply for a Post Grad. One that I am currently taking courses for is the TEG – www.teg.ie. You must take level B2 in order to satisfy the Irish requirement. There are classes run all over the place with exam annually in March/April I think. I have found it more real world Irish rather than novel, stories and poetry – which I found the leaving cert to be. I am also considering retaking the Leaving cert Irish as well if the TEG doesn’t go well as we barely got half of the TEG course covered in the night classes I was attending.

The best thing for you to do is look up any of the teaching college’s websites and looking of entry requirements for the Post Graduate in Primary Education there all the possible alternatives to Irish are listed for you.

I wish you all the best,
Karkar

pastorbarrett

OP, in your position I'd sign up to re-sit LC Irish in June 2013. Granted, you're in college and may have enough to worry about academically, but:

1) A2 pass is a good standard of Irish in respect of exam.
2) The new LC syllabus (introduced last year) is more manageable and condensed-a whole 40 % going for the oral now
3) It wasn't so long ago you sat the exam.

If it's feasible for you to devote a few hours a week and maybe attend an evening class, then I'd go for it.

I re-sat LC irish after 10 years away and managed a B3. Best of luck with it.