More concurrent teaching degrees to address teacher shortage – McCarthy

Further emphasis and extra spaces on concurrent teaching degrees would result in more people pursuing a career in teaching, a Fine Gael General Election candidate has said.

Concurrent teaching degrees allow students to combine their education training with subject-specific learning over a four-year period.

Cllr Úna McCarthy, Fine Gael General Election candidate in Cork South Central and an assistant principal in St. Peter’s Community School in Passage West, said: “We are all aware of the shortage of secondary school teachers across the country, with schools struggling to fill vacancies, get sub-teachers, and provide the best range of subject choice to students.

“Concurrent teaching degrees have emerged as an option in recent years, but we need more of them, more awareness of them, and more spaces on them.

“A particular focus is needed on high-demand subjects and on those of which there is an acute shortage of teachers.

“We also need a nationwide awareness campaign to highlight the availability of these courses to encourage more people to opt for the teaching profession.

“The traditional path into teaching has long been to obtain a degree in a particular area, and subsequently complete a master’s in education.

“This approach is effective and suits many people, but we do need far more emphasis placed on concurrent teaching degrees, to make it quicker and more affordable for people to train as teachers.

“Saving two years and two years of fees, could be a far more attractive route into the profession.

“By expanding the availability of concurrent degrees, we can provide a faster and more direct route from college to the classroom, whilst increasing the number of highly skilled educators in Ireland.

“More courses offering this route have been introduced in recent years and have proved popular, and we must now ensure there are more of them with sufficient space to cater for demand.

“The Teaching Council, Departments of Education and Higher Education, and Higher Education Institutions must come together and work on the development of these courses.

“Teaching is a highly rewarding profession, and it is imperative that we provide a wide range of options for people to charter their pathway to becoming future educators,” McCarthy concluded.