Toraiocht query

feardeas

Hi.

Just thinking of doing the toraiocht course next year in Maynooth. Wondering if anyone here has done it and what it is like.

Thanks.

PainIsTemporary

Just after seeing this post whilst looking for information on the Toraiocht course. The information for next year's intake for the Toraiocht/Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership held in conjunction with the PDST, with the Centre for School Leadership being involved in the delivery of the course from next year on, has been put up on the CSL website: http://cslireland.ie/en/aspiring-leaders-csl-ireland-eng.html

One noticeable and significant change is that this course had been a 1 year / 9 month course costing 2200 euro to complete (part subsidised by the DES I'm told) and had been accredited by NUI Maynooth, whilst also being delivered in selected Education Centres nationwide. According to the most recent information on the link above, next years course will now be taught over 2 years and looks like it will be accredited by a variety of 3rd level institutions.

Following on from the above query by the original poster, does anyone know why this course is now being delivered over 2 years instead of 1 year? Also is anyone aware of how this will affect the cost of the course as I'm assuming this will result in the course costing considerably more?

Other similar Post Graduate Diplomas I have looked into doing are all delivered over 1 year, with the option of continuing on to masters level in the 2nd year. To be honest these changes to the Toraiocht course are putting me off doing it as I had intended in the 2017-2018 school year.

Several friends of mine have completed either the Toraiocht course or a Post Graduate Diploma/Masters in Leadership in Education. One thing I have found interesting is that those that have completed the former haven't spoken glowingly of the course in terms of content or delivery, whilst most who have completed the latter have recommended the course they have completed more willingly. Any additional insight or information on any of the above would be appreciated.

dory

PainIsTemporary wrote: »

Following on from the above query by the original poster, does anyone know why this course is now being delivered over 2 years instead of 1 year?

Do you even have to ask?? $$$$$$ €€€€€€ and £££££££.

Sorry I don't have anything else to add only that I don't know anyone who has done Toraíocht, but people I know who have done regular MAs in Leadership say they were grand.

blueberrypie

Hi thanks for reopening this thread. I am researching my options at the moment. Each of the courses detailed below cover the same modules. Does anyone have other information for me good or bad to help me make a decision.

1.

here is the link for the new course: http://cslireland.ie/en/aspiring-leaders-csl-ireland-eng.html

Applications open Friday, intake of 200 people approx.

60 credits 18 months of lectures Sept-Dec, Jan-May, Sept-Dec
€2k paid by you and refunded on completion of course and the dept. will pay €3k also. Looks appealing but no breakdown of what assignments will be attached to each module. It also want s work placement outside of your own school.

Run by UL with tutorials in other centres throughout Ireland. I completed a course run by UL in and attended tutorials in a centre. Sounds like a similar set up and it was a complete disaster.
We used to turn up to the centre to watch lectures streamed from UL, to find technology wouldn't work.
From what I have read about this course I think you can watch the lectures at home and attend tutorials in the centre.

2.
I have also researched the new NUI Maynooth Future Leaders Course €2900, 18 months, 60 credits/level 9.
Difference here is is their lectures run from Sept-May. Weekly lectures in various centres throughout the country. Lectures runs according to the school timetable and assignments to be completed by the end of August. No breakdown of assignments given which is worrying. I would not sign up to a course without knowing this. I have asked for this information and was told the website would be updated last week.
3.
The other leadership course that is really appealing is the UCC course. level 9 60 credits. Lectures are run once a month on a Sat 9-5pm. Sept-April/May. Only drawback is €4k (note:it was €5700 in 2016)

If any one has completed the UCC course I would appreciate any info. Thanks

PainIsTemporary

Hi blueberrypie.

I had been keeping an eye on the Toraoicht PGDEL course also on the CSL website, and was disappointed by the lack of information on both the CSL website and the PDST websites surrounding next years course these last few months. I saw that they were accepting applications at the end of April, however found it is very frustrating that the expectation was for applicants to apply for a course with little or no course outline available.

I am aware this is the first year CSL have taken over the running of the course and as a result there may be teething problems re: course structure, etc. especially given that there will be a number of 3rd level institutions involved in the delivery of the course. However since January they have been informing potential applicants on their website that information regarding the course will be forthcoming shortly [pre-Christmas it said info would be available early in the new year, in the new year it stated information would be available in March/April, now it says info will be available this week...still no information of substance on the website at the time of posting]. Mainly for this reason I have lost interest in doing this course (even if it is one of the better value courses on offer).

As far as I am aware the participant will have to pay 2000 euro towards the cost of the course. This 2000 euro, to my knowledge, is not refundable as you suggest in your post, and I received an email informing me as such earlier today. From my reading of the correspondences I have received the cost of the course is 5000 euro in total, with the Dept covering 3000 euro and the participant paying the remaining 2000 euro. The course is now an 18 month course with an expectation of doing a placement in an educational setting outside of one in which the participant currently practises. This is another substantial change from the previous course, with little/no information available about what exactly this will entail either online or through email correspondences. I am disappointed by the lack of information and structure regarding the 2017-2018 course under the stewardship of CSL.

My preferred option is the PGDELM offered in Maynooth next year that you mention above (applications for next years intake now closed to the best of my knowledge). Having attended the open day I personally was of the impression that they were better organised to be honest, and considering they have been involved in the delivery of PGDEL and PGDEM programmes previously, with this course being a highbred of both, I felt that the course on offer there was the best fit for me (There has been no open day or information evening for next year's Toraiocht course either. There had been in previous years).

I'm sure going forward the Toraiocht course may well be a success, but I was genuinely disappointed by the lack of information available regarding next year's course and the delays in making information available. Expecting interested parties to apply for a course with little/no info available is silly, in spite of the fact that it may be better value than similar courses on offer elsewhere.

Long winded reply but just sharing my tuppence ha'penny worth. Best of luck!