GETTING into teaching is becoming increasingly difficult. For national teaching the points are very high - 465-480 in the main colleges of education last year - and with a cap having been put on the number of Higher Diploma in Education (H.Dip.) places, getting to train as a secondary teacher has also become very competitive.
. Primary teaching: The jobs situation is very good, in fact the INTO claims there is a shortage of national teachers. Indeed, schools often find it impossible to get trained substitute teachers. So anybody who gets into a college of education and trains is guaranteed a job. Though very few will get a permanent job, with about 75 per cent of graduates getting their first job as temporary or substitute teachers.
There were 420 places available last year and no decision has been taken yet for this year. There are no great prospects of the points falling. Last year 180 graduates were also taken in to help cope with the shortage of trained teachers, but it is not certain whether there will be such a graduate intake again.
. Secondary teaching: The jobs situation is not quite so buoyant here and graduates find it hard enough to get a teaching position. The Department of Education reduced the number of H.Dip. places last year to 800 (no decision has been made on numbers for this year so far). Some 4,420 graduates applied for the 800 places so there is stiff competition. UCD had 170 H.Dip. places and 1,058 graduates applied for them - it's worse than points in many ways.
The number of H.Dip. places was reduced because of an overproduction of teachers. The decline in the proportion of arts graduates going into teacher training itself tells a story: in 1977, 57 per cent of all arts graduates went into teacher training, in 1993 it was 15 per cent and by 1994, with the reduction in H.Dip. places, it had fallen to under 10 per cent.
The biggest outputs of H.Dip. graduates are in English, history, maths and science, according to Department of Education figures. There is some indication that it is easier to get a teaching job in Irish or business studies, as there are fewer graduates with those specialisations.
. Specialist teachers: The jobs situation is best for second level teachers in specialist areas trained outside the H.Dip. system. There appears to be a shortage of qualified teachers of religion so Mater Dei graduates, for example, do well.
Graduates from the two technology teacher training courses in UL are virtually guaranteed a job and there is virtual full employment of graduates of the home economics colleges. There is not, on the other hand, a great market for PE teachers - though some go into the health and leisure area rather than school teaching.
. Psychology: Vast numbers of Leaving Cert students want to study psychology and huge numbers apply for all psychology courses, pushing points sky high; for direct entry courses. It is as well to be aware that (a) there are very few jobs for psychologists and (b) very few of those who study psychology will become professional psychologists.
For the majority, their psychology degree will be like any other arts degree and they will use it as a broad general education rather than as a professional qualification.
To become a professional psychologist requires pretty extensive postgraduate training and research and very few reach this level. Even for those who do, thee jobs situation is not great.
. UCD: There are two streams for studying psychology, arts and science. Some 400 students went into first year psychology last year through arts and they were competing for just 70 places in full time psychology in year two. It is very competitive. Expect the same this year.
You can also do psychology at UCD by applying for a science degree, doing general science subjects in year one and then competing for just 15 psychology places in year two. You must take one science subject with psychology to degree level. It does not particularly matter which route you take. The science route may suit those who are better at science subjects, but the end result is the same.
These 85 places are the only opportunities at UCD for studying psychology after first year.
. Trinity: The main psychology degree was registering a minimum of 510 points last year with just 31 places. It is also possible to study psychology as an arts subject where they have just 17 places (525 points); the arts route can also lead to professional qualification.
. UCC: There is direct entry into the main course which is applied psychology (495 points last year). They also have 10 places in psychology in the science faculty whereby you take general science subjects in first and second year and compete for the psychology places in year three; all 10 places have never been filled.
You can also take psychology as a minor arts subject. You'd need to do a two year qualifying course (available at UCC) after that to be eligible to do a master's if you wanted to take the professional psychology route.
. UCG: You go in through arts taking psychology in first year, but the second year places in full time psychology are limited to 26. They had 180 first year students chasing them last year. Places are allocated on first year exam results - a second points race, effectively.
. New courses: A small number of courses have come on stream since the CAO/CAS handbook was compiled. Students can apply for places on these courses despite the fact that they are not listed in the handbook. The following is a list of the courses with CAO course code and course details which should go on the form.
DIT: FT353 JRN is a journalism degree in DIT Aungier Street. This replaces the existing journalism diploma. Students have been asking Countdown what the points might be for this course. It seems to us they may probably be similar to those for the equivalent diploma last year.
DT409 TMK is a tourism/marketing diploma in the Cathal Brugha street campus.
DT603 SDS is a speech and drama diploma in DIT Adelaide Road. It's a restricted entry course with no possibility of late application after February 1st.
Dun Laoghaire College of Art/ Design: DL012 TVPROD is a diploma in television/video production and it is also restricted entry.
Carlow RTC has various off campus locally based certificate courses on offer in Kilkenny and Wexford. In Kilkenny: CW048 BUSTKK (business studies); CW049 COMPKK (computing); CW096 OFFKK (office info systems).
Wexford: CW093 BUSTWX (business studies); CW094 COMPWX (computing); CW095 OFFWX (office info systems).
. Discontinued courses: Some courses listed in the CAO handbook have also been discontinued. It is important not to waste your choices on those. They are: DT302 the DIT's journalism diploma which has been replaced by the degree; DN013, UCD's evening commerce degree; SG135, tourism in Sligo RTC; and four courses in the National College of Industrial Relations, NC109, NC209, NC102, NC202.
UCD has dropped its evening commerce degree because of various problems with its operation and hopes to revamp and relaunch the course next year. It probably does need revamping but it is a pity they left it so late that there is no intake at all this year, thus disappointing mature applicants who, seeing it in the CAO handbook, had naturally assumed that it would be available.