PME or concurrent teaching degree

Darragh Cassidy

As the cao has opened I’ve being thinking about courses I have been interested in post primary teaching for some time now I was talking to my guidance counsellor in school and she told me about concurrent teaching degrees I have researched and I like pe and a subject in UL but this is high points and is at the other side of the country or history and religion in DCU(Materdei) both courses are 4 years and include the pme which is expensive and hard to get a place, I am wondering would I be better going for a concurrent teaching degree even though these subjects have less job offers or would I be better doing an arts degree(Irish and Geography) and then do the pme, which have better chance of getting a job with these subjects?I am also thinking if I get the history and religion degree in dcu and then study an arts degree would I be able to add these subjects and be able to teach 4 subjects which would have better job opportunities?any help would be greatly appreciated thanks

RealJohn

Personally, I would go down the degree and then PME route, mainly because you can’t trust the government not to keep attacking teachers’ conditions and you might not still want to be a teacher in ten years’ time. Granted, a lot of the concurrent degrees claim that they’re recognised as degrees in the subject too, and maybe they are, but I suspect it creates a better impression to an employer if they don’t think you’re only qualified as a teacher.

Icsics

Concurrent is the cheapest & fastest way to qualify. But a seperate degree will give you more options

Teacher0101

Concurrent will have you training from earlier on and will make it easier for you to fit into school teaching life.

dory

I'd definitely go concurrent. You can do Irish in UL and then you'd have a good teaching subject in 2/3 of the time. The PME route is a total rip off. I see in my school the PMEs are envious of the concurrent people for getting it done in 4 years.

I've a friend who did PE and Chemistry, taught for 10 years or so and now uses her Chemistry in industry. So you could always do something like that. Or if you had PE and Irish you could end up doing a masters in HR or Business or something totally different in 10 years time and go work in those areas.

Teacher0101

If you're aiming for concurrent, you obviously have the points for a better course. Better conditions, respect and pay.

I qualified in 2007 and have to work until 68 for full pension, newer entrants ae on a lower salary scale, pay 1-12k for a 2 year HDip, then are lucky to get half hours. You'd be working til you're 70 as well. **** that. And kids are getting thicker by the year.

Or be savvy and do a course that allows you into industry like the above poster says.

Noveight

Concurrent.

Failing that, try and do the shortest possible undergrad along with the 2 year PME (i.e. a 3 year Arts degree as opposed to 4).

Teacher0101

I STRONGLY advise asking to sub in a school before going near a 2 year PME. Schools are short of staff at the moment. Go in to your old school or a local one, try to get to talk to the principal or vice principal, but walk around, get the atmosphere of the place, if you can't sub ask to sit in on a class. Seriously, a lot of people forget school. It's different on the other side of the desk.

Secondary teaching is HIGHLY personality driven. It's about being calm and not getting agitated over stupid **** and about a thousand other things, but I feel being calm is the most important and having a good personality. You need to be aware, because there are major stresses in the job. The PME crowd only want your money. Investigate yourself beforehand,

gaiscioch

Look at the finances of being a teacher. Assuming - and it's a very big assumption - you get a fulltime, permanent job, you'll be paying 60% tax on all your income above €32,000. Be very clear about how much after tax income you'll have. Do your research.

Then go over to myhome.ie and see what sort of family home you could buy for 3.5 times your income. Don't kid yourself about your real after-tax income or the fact that you'll almost certainly have to find another job for much of your 4.5 months holidays.