History and Structure of Irish Education Exam for foreign-trained teachers

sophia13 · 12-07-2018 2:12pm

patsie123 wrote: »

Hi, the Teaching Council requires me to sit this exam in May as I am a secondary teacher who trained in England. I was wondering

a) Has anyone sat this exam and if so how hard is it?
b) How much would you be expected to write for each question?
c) How many of the titles on the reading list do you need to study to prepare for the exam?

Thanks!

Well, you will need to ask them to forward you list of books,articles and questions from previous years.

There will be lots of reading involved as there were many reforms during Irish educ.history..especially focus on past 15-20 yrs regarding reforms and curriculum.

I sat this exam in April,and for each question wrote 3 pages...maybe 4. Its not bad at all. Personally it was bit harder for me,as english is not my first language. Overall, took me few months,due to fact that I work full hours so I could do only 2-3 hrs every day. I would recommend you to take down all important info and try to put them in essay form before you sit exam,just to make sure you know what to write under each heading.

Cheers and best of luck!

AliD_1984 · 28-08-2018 4:01pm

Hi guys! I am sitting the exam in November and am trying to organise myself for study! If anyone still has their notes would you mind emailing them to me? One member has kindly already done so.

Thanks in advance,

talboy73 · 03-03-2019 5:26pm

Hi @AliD_1984 Did you sit the exam? Hope it went well.
I am hoping to do the next sitting and trying to study but the subject is so broad!
Any tips?
TIA

dm73 · 08-03-2019 1:42pm

hugs&xxx wrote: »

Hey i sat the exam last november. I did the PGCE too and had to send all my documents for recognition before they allowed me to sit it. They still havent registered me its such a long process and they require so much paperwork!
All the past exam questions are on their website. For each essay you are expected to write around 2/3 pages so I just wrote anyting I know on that topic and did enough to pass. I only studied for around a week before the exam and it was enough to pass.
The book History and Structure of Irish education system by John coolihan has all the information in it. I have a copy of it if anyone wants it so pm me if you need any other help on the exam, or send a reply and I could always post it to you I dont need it now anyway!

Hey! Do you still have that book?! I am interested in gettg a copy! Darren. Did you read it all in detail?

jimob67 · 02-04-2019 3:21pm

I am sitting for the History and Structure Exam this Saturday. I have been reading a couple of books and a few articles. If anyone has any notes for the exam they can share with me that would be great.

talboy73 · 02-04-2019 7:34pm

jimob67 wrote: »

I am sitting for the History and Structure Exam this Saturday. I have been reading a couple of books and a few articles. If anyone has any notes for the exam they can share with me that would be great.

@jimob67

There's a good summary of landmark changes since 1960 in Coolahan's speech 'Address by Professor John Coolahan at the Launch of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector'. It's on education .ie, Sorry can't give you link, this site won't let me. It focuses on Primary, but there's crossover with Secondary.

I'm hoping the shorter reading list that was provided along with exam registration is guide to what to study rather than the full list on the website.
"Regarding readings lists, we would suggest reading texts from John Coolahan (Towards the Era of Lifelong Learning: A History of Irish Education, 1800-2016 and/or Irish Education: History and Structure 1981/2000); Seamas Ó Buachalla (Church and State in Irish Education in this Century); Thomas A. O’Donoghue (Catholicism and the Curriculum: The Irish Secondary School Experience, 1922-62), and Barney O’Reilly (Education Policy in Ireland since the 1940s)."

Good luck!

jimob67 · 02-04-2019 8:37pm

I have the Towards the Era book. Thank you for the other items. I am approaching it as a sort of mock this first time. I have until 2021 to pass it. I will look for the speech on line. Thanks

spurious · 02-04-2019 11:30pm

The link here is working again. Apologies for the down time.
http://dublin1850.com/HistIrishEd.doc doc file will download if you click the link

wifeyjmoore · 08-06-2019 8:09pm

spurious wrote: »

The link here is working again. Apologies for the down time.
doc file will download if you click the link

I'm curious as to whether this doc link is a copy of someones essay, or a resource??? If a resource, what is the title of the book/ publication?

spurious · 08-06-2019 9:45pm

wifeyjmoore wrote: »

I'm curious as to whether this doc link is a copy of someones essay, or a resource??? If a resource, what is the title of the book/ publication?

No idea. Someone here was emailing it to people on request and it was easier for them if it was uploaded to a site, so I threw it up there.

breigin · 10-08-2019 5:33pm

I have some handwritten notes that got me through the exam. If anyone needs them send a message.

Lyndad · 17-09-2019 10:53pm

Hi I was hoping you would be able to email the notes for the exam . I am taking the exam now in November and would appreciate the help

Lynda

ArtMat · 04-02-2020 5:41pm

Hi

I'm wondering if anyone could email me notes or study material for the History and Structure of Irish Education Exam?
I have to sit the exam in a few weeks

Thanks A Lot!!!!

Artur

spurious · 04-02-2020 8:17pm

Read the thread.
Seriously, there is a link a few posts above you.
Research skills.

ArtMat · 04-02-2020 8:39pm

sorry about that...
thanks for a link!

hatchd · 09-04-2020 11:50am

This whole process is quite an ordeal, I think I started nearly 2 years ago (forms, emails, flying to Ireland for face to face meetings with the teaching council & formal letters).

Nearly finished, just this exam to go now.

I have looked but can anyone confirm if the exam is open book or if i can use a laptop? It has been years since I have written anything substantial by hand.

Much appreaciated for the book recomendations 'Coolahan' & the notes 'spurious'.

If anyone has any further recomendations I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Good luck to all starting out on the process.

David

openup · 06-07-2020 5:45pm

The exam is an exercise in beaurocracy. I felt really sorry for the people doing it with me who had pages or even folders of their own notes! I had the notes from this thread and 2 sample essays from a firend. Read all that about a week before and the day of. One of my answers wasn't even relavant to the question. I just rambled about the church. Wrote just over a page for each question. I think they just want to know that you have a good level of English/can write something that vaguely resembles a 3rd level essay.

joelato23 · 24-07-2020 5:56pm

Hey fellow educators,

Looking to take the exam by the end of this year. Thanks spurious for your notes.

Would anyone have access or can direct me to a digital version of Coolahan's book?
Any other book/study guide recommendations would be appreciated too. 👍🏼

Thanks!

JackieO44 · 15-08-2020 6:13pm

Hi Everyone!

If anyone has notes for this exam that they are still willing to share, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

Jackie

spurious · 16-08-2020 1:06am

Still on the previously mentioned website

paddyfulham · 29-10-2020 5:04pm

I am sitting the exam next month remotely due to covid restrictions. The link with the notes is useful. I have also fired off a few PMs to people. Anyone done the exam remotely yet?

breigin · 29-10-2020 7:23pm

I have posted my notes to the Facebook group called international teachers in ireland. Several other members of the group have posted notes and past paper questions

stevenwilliams · 04-11-2020 8:29am

Hi, I sat the exam back in August. I'm in Australia so it was a great opportunity to do the exam without flying to Ireland.
I'm still not really clear about the process. I tried to find out how the exam could be invigilated online and was ready to have my computer camera used with someone online watching my actions. In the end I just logged in and did the exam with out any personal interaction.

Supersonic42 · 15-05-2021 10:48am

Would anyone have access to the blue book on the History of Irish Education & Structure? Or be willing to seek on their notes? Have the exam coming up.

spurious · 15-05-2021 11:55am

There are notes on the link on dublin1850.com as mentioned above.

LornaBird · 23-03-2022 7:38pm

Does anyone know how many times you can attempt this exam? I could have sworn I saw information about this somewhere but I can't find it now.

Polly37 · 06-04-2022 9:54pm

Hi Lorna, as many times as you like.... Good Luck

unknowngirl!! · 19-05-2022 4:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117168732#Comment_117168732

Many thanks for sharing the link (so many times!), however, I can't seem to get it to open. Are they still available?

spurious · 19-05-2022 7:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119086013#Comment_119086013

Right click and choose 'save link as'.

It may give a security warning but it's fine. If you can't get it, PM me an email address and I will send you it.

joe40 · 01-11-2022 3:16pm

I'm doing this exam on Saturday 12th Nov and I have never resented anything as much in my entire life. It is such a unnecessary pointless exercise.

I have started reading some articles online (also stuff posted here) so hopefully it will go OK. It is online but I'm not sure how it will be invigilated.

History and Structure of Irish Education Exam for foreign-trained teachers

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