250 students have applied to Trinity’s new course for primary school teaching through Irish, which is to be delivered by the Marino Institute of Education and accredited by Trinity.
The degree course is aimed at students interested in teaching in Irish-medium or Gaeltacht schools. These schools have recently struggled with a shortage of teachers across Ireland.
In addition to meeting the minimum Leaving Certificate grade requirements for this course, applicants will also need to obtain 50% or higher in the Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) Level B1 examination, in order to demonstrate their proficiency in Irish.
The course will provide modules on Irish culture, including dancing, music, games, and literature as well as modules in Immersion Education, Early Childhood Learning, Psychology, and Sociolinguistics.
Students will have the opportunity to study to achieve a certificate in Catholic Religious Education in order to be eligible to teach in schools under the patronage of the Catholic Church. There is also an opportunity to study for a certificate in the Multi-Denominational and Ethics Curricula in Various School Contexts.
In order to complete their placement, students on the course will spend time in the Gaeltacht and work in Gaeltacht schools.
Speaking at the launch of the course in September, Vice-Provost Professor Chris Morash said Trinity was “very pleased to grant accreditation to this degree”. He noted that it is “wonderful that our institutes are responding in such a practical way to the needs of the Irish medium education sector”.
Morash added that he hopes the degree “will not only meet the shortage in staff supply for Gaeltacht schools and Gaelscoileanna across the country” but also offer “an opportunity for students with a keen interest in the Irish language to study teaching through Irish”.
A survey of 29,000 recent third-level graduates found that Education graduates had the highest salaries on average nine months after graduating. The survey, carried out by the Higher Education Authority, found that Education graduates were earning an average of €38,701 nine months after graduation.
