Prison education services

jessaj

Does anyone know anything about how you would go about working with this service? I have quite a lot of experience working with mature students and young adults with non-traditional educational backgrounds, and a real passion for it. Does anyone know whether you need the PME to teach with the prison service, whether they are recruiting and how you would apply for it? My master's in mathematical sciences and also have English in first Arts, so I'd be looking mainly at maths and sciences but I would love to work on literacy too.
I'd love to be able to get enough hours in adult education to make up full time, but it's difficult since they've changed the requirements in the (former) VECS!

Millem

jessaj wrote: »

Does anyone know anything about how you would go about working with this service? I have quite a lot of experience working with mature students and young adults with non-traditional educational backgrounds, and a real passion for it. Does anyone know whether you need the PME to teach with the prison service, whether they are recruiting and how you would apply for it? My master's in mathematical sciences and also have English in first Arts, so I'd be looking mainly at maths and sciences but I would love to work on literacy too.
I'd love to be able to get enough hours in adult education to make up full time, but it's difficult since they've changed the requirements in the (former) VECS!

From my memory they are run by the vecs/etbs (or whatever their new name is!). When the vec/etb advertise any jobs in prison would be included. I think last week or the week before was the closing date for the county dublin one. I don't know what requirements you need but I know in my own subject they don't do JC/LC as prisoners might not get to finish it depending on the length of their sentence or if they get transferred, they do fetac courses and move up levels.

jessaj

Really? Do you know whether that was specific to some subjects or whether it applied to all of them? The prison services website states that they offer jc and lc courses, as well as some FETAC awards. If you have worked with them before, would you mind telling me a bit about the environment there? Was it one-to-one, or small class groups? Were students generally motivated? Were there a lot of security precautions in place?

Millem

jessaj wrote: »

Really? Do you know whether that was specific to some subjects or whether it applied to all of them? The prison services website states that they offer jc and lc courses, as well as some FETAC awards. If you have worked with them before, would you mind telling me a bit about the environment there? Was it one-to-one, or small class groups? Were students generally motivated? Were there a lot of security precautions in place?

I didn't work for them but I did alot of research on my subject in prison education. It could all have changed but basically only the "well behaved" prisoners got to participate in education, in some prisons any prisoners that were in the protective area didn't get to go to education as it would be a safety risk getting them from cell to the classroom. In my subject there are health issues you need to be aware of eg hepititis as we would use knives etc everything had to be boiled at the end of each class. all of the teachers I had spoken to really enjoyed working there in fact they had worked there for years and years. They also have a longer school year to us. Have you ever visited a prison? It wouldn't be for me to be honest I have far too much empathy. I know some prisons did jc and lc maths and english but don't know if that is still the case now.

blueberrypie

A friend worked in a city prison providing cover for June/July. He was approached by the ETB as they had his CV on file. Small classes. Guard outside the door, he always felt safe. The teacher taught a number of subjects at Junior Cert level. Students were interested and motivated alright. He said it was rewarding and would do it full time if a job came up.

jessaj

Thanks Blueberrypie, that's very helpful. Do you know if your friend had a hdip/pme/other qualification in education?

blueberrypie

My friend qualified as a second level teacher in UK and was back in Ireland applying for jobs. They secured a few hours with me in a voluntary secondary school and the vec at the time had cv/info from another job they had previously applied for.

I have often seen ads on educationposts. where jobs have arisen teaching in prisons.(mainly Dublin if memory serves me correctly)

I taught in Laois ETB and it was not uncommon to be working in a combination of 2nd level schools/prison/plcs if you had full hours.

hth

Slanu

I'm a prison teacher you can pm me if you like