Gaeltacht residency requirement - Teaching Council

UCGaeilge

I’m a second year Arts student with Gaeilge as one of my subjects, hoping to do the PME to become a secondary teacher.

The Teaching Council stipulates that one must have 2 months verifiable residence in a Gaeltacht area in order to register as an Irish teacher. However I have heard different accounts from others, many saying it is not strictly enforced.

Would anyone have any info on this? Thanks.

Random sample

Is there a reason you are trying to circumvent the requirements rather than fulfilling them?

UCGaeilge

Random sample wrote: »

Is there a reason you are trying to circumvent the requirements rather than fulfilling them?

None whatsoever, it is just confusing when many Irish teachers say that they never had to fulfil that residency requirement.

Seeking clarity. Thanks.

Random sample

UCGaeilge wrote: »

None whatsoever, it is just confusing when many Irish teachers say that they never had to fulfil that residency requirement.

Seeking clarity. Thanks.

I don’t know any Irish teachers who have avoided the regulations since they came in. Would the Irish teachers you know have qualified before that?

Either way, you should be aiming to be proficient in a language you are hoping to teach, and residency is the best way to become proficient in the spoken language.

RealJohn

To be honest, I think there shouldn’t be a requirement to live in the Gaeltacht for any length of time to teach Irish. Irish is our official first language. You should just have to prove that you have a good level of spoken and written Irish. Obviously, it’s less hassle to just insist people spend time in the Gaeltacht. That way, the teaching council doesn’t have to test them properly themselves, but that’s what they should be doing. They’re taking enough of our money. They could at least put it to good use.

I wonder if it’s even legal to insist on that, for those resident in Ireland, given that Irish is our official language.

byhookorbycrook

Primary teachers have always had to spend time in the Gaeltacht. I think it’s very important that anyone, primary or secondary , who will be teaching the language actually spends time with native speakers , in an Irish speaking community.
It enriches the language in a way that books can’t.

r93kaey5p2izun

I have only heard of it being implemented consistently since the 2017 regulations came in, I'm not aware of any exceptions or inconsistencies since then. A former colleague allowed registration to lapse during career break and had to go to the Gaeltacht to re-register after teaching for 20 years.

Snapgal

I’m an Irish teacher qualified nearly 20 years. Even though I spent time in the Gaeltacht teaching in various Coláistí Samhraidh i didnt have to show TC that i did but then i am qualified a long time. I know good few teachers not qualified teaching Irish and not qualified though. Still not CID after leaving a CID job five years ago to move nearer home