DOES the thought of facing a class of tiny tots every Monday morning send you into transports of delight? Or does it cause your spine to tingle in trepidation?
Do you harbour visions of inspiring teenagers to top grades in Leaving Cert English? Or would you prefer to introduce them to the delights of chemical experimentation?
If you're considering a career in the classroom, these are some of the questions you must address. You must first decide whether you want to teach at primary or second level. This is a decision that must be made now as the training is very different for primary and second level teachers. As always, you should talk to your guidance counsellor and parents.
Primary schoolteachers will probably teach all age groups from four year old tots to (probably) pre adolescent 12 or 13 year olds during their careers, while second level teachers deal primarily with teenagers. The curriculum at primary school is an integrated one where you will teach a wide range of subjects from maths, English and Irish to crafts, singing and painting. At second level, you will specialise and usually teach only one or two subjects which you have studied at degree level.
Primary teaching
The main route into primary teaching is through the Bachelor of Education degree, which is offered in five colleges - St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin; Mary Immaculate College, Limerick; Colaiste Mhuire, Marino, Dublin; Froebel College Blackrock, Dublin; and the Church of Ireland College in Rathmines, Dublin.
It is not easy to obtain a place in any of these colleges. Last year's points ranged from 475* for St. Pats to 470* for Mary Immaculate, 465* for Colaiste Mhuire, 460* for Froebel, and 330 for the Church of Ireland college. If you were a Gaeltacht applicant, you needed fewer points as a certain number of places are set aside for Gaeltacht applicants each year. The Church of Ireland college only admits students who are members of churches in the Protestant tradition.
Each year, the number of first year B.Ed places available is set by the Department of Education. The idea is to match supply to demand so that we are not training excessive numbers of teachers with no jobs available for them when they graduate. Last year, there were 415 places available among the five colleges. The number hasn't been fixed for this year yet.
We are often asked what exactly Froebel entails and whether it is a full teaching qualification. Named after the education philosopher, Friedrich Froebel, this system of teaching emphasises the individuality and innate ability of each child. TCD validates the B.Ed degree and, yes, it is a fully recognised professional qualification for teachers working in primary schools. The course is taught jointly by the department of teacher education at TCD and Froebel College.
There is another occasional route into primary school teaching. If demand seems to be outstripping supply, the Department of Education sanctions a postgraduate option which allows graduates to train as primary schoolteachers. But you should not bank on this option being available when you graduate.
All of this juggling with supply and demand still does not mean that you will walk out of college with your B.Ed into that permanent, pensionable job so beloved by the parents of Ireland. You will more likely spend a number of years in part time or temporary employment.
The latest survey of graduates by the Higher Education Authority shows that only 17 per cent of 1995 B.Ed graduates had obtained a permanent job by April 1996, the date of the survey. Three quarters of the graduates were in substitute or part time teaching positions. The HEA notes that because of the introduction of the career break scheme among teachers many new graduates are obtaining long term temporary or substitute teaching positions of one or more years.
If you think that's bad, the employment situation is even more dismal at second level, where only 6 per cent of the H.Dip graduates surveyed by the HEA had found permanent employment by the April after they graduated. About 60 per cent were in part time, temporary or substitute teaching jobs. Ten per cent were teaching abroad and 13 per cent had found other non teaching work.
The majority of second level teachers do a primary degree followed by a one year higher diploma in education. Again, there is a controlled number of H.Dip places, with about 800 places available last year. The HEA is concerned about the poor empty prospects for graduates of the H.Dip programme and has instituted a follow up study of H.Dip graduates to find out how many eventually got permanent teaching positions and how long this process took. This means that even fewer H.Dip places may be available in the future. At present, there are about five to six applicants for every available place. A working group is currently considering the situation.
Your chances of employment as a second level teacher are often linked to your primary degree. For instance, the teacher unions report a high demand for maths and Irish teachers over the past few years but little demand for English and history teachers. But it would be foolish to choose your degree subjects with this in mind - the demand for teachers of various subjects changes with the years and, by the time you graduate, something entirely different may be in short supply. Choose your primary degree subjects because they interest you.
Concurrent teacher training
There is a number of courses in specialist subjects, such as religion, PE and home economics, which include the study of education and some teaching practice in the primary degree. This means that you do not need to do the H.Dip. You are a fully qualified second level teacher after you complete the primary degree. Most of these courses take a very small number of students each year so job prospects are generally good, with the same caveat . . . you are more likely to be in temporary rather than full time employment for your first few years of teaching.
Religion
There are excellent job prospects for graduates of Mater Dei's four year degree in religious education and arts, according to the college's admissions officer. The degree is awarded by Maynooth university and cut off points last year were 390.
Students study religion and English, history or music. About 60 students are taken on each year. Graduates are qualified to teach religious education and their elective subject in all post primary schools. While the majority of students are Catholic, the college had its first Church of Ireland graduate last year.
Home economics
St Angela's College in Sligo offers a B.Ed in home economics and biology and a B.Ed in home economics and catechetics. The points required last year were 440* and 430* respectively. All of last year's graduates are employed, although most are in temporary or part time positions. In fact, schools are constantly ringing the college looking for graduates but none is available at present.
The college notes a tendency in recent years among graduates to move away from second level teaching into areas such as YouthReach, FAS and health boards, thus broadening the employment opportunities.
The B.Ed in home economics offered by St Catherine's, Sion Hill, Dublin, is based in Sion Hill, although students attend some lectures in TCD and are full members of the university. Students needed at least 440 points last year to secure a place. All graduates were placed last "year, again not all in permanent employment.
Physical Education
Physical Education is one of the most popular of the teaching options and prospective PE teachers must pass a movement ability test as well as achieving the required points in the Leaving Cert. UL offers the only course in PE teaching in Ireland and its latest graduate survey (1995 graduates) shows that job prospects are good. Seven graduates obtained permanent teaching positions; 20 found part time, temporary or substitute teaching in Ireland, while two went into other work in Ireland and one opted for further study. None was seeking work at the time of the survey.
Technology
Two concurrent teaching options are offered by UL materials and construction technology or materials and engineering technology. Graduates of the materials and construction technology option are qualified to teach materials technology (wood), technical graphics and technology to Junior Cert and technical drawing and construction studies to Leaving Cert. UL's graduate survey shows that seven graduates found permanent teaching jobs in Ireland, 18 found temporary or part time teaching in Ireland and one went into other work in Ireland.
Job prospects were equally good for the 1995 graduates of materials and engineering technology, with four graduates finding permanent teaching jobs and the remaining nine in part time or temporary teaching jobs. Graduates of this option are, qualified to teach materials technology, technical graphics and technology to Junior Cert and technical drawing, technology and engineering to Leaving Cert.
Science
UL offers a four year Bachelor of Science (education) in biological science with chemistry or physics. The course includes biological, agricultural and physical sciences. While none of the 12 graduates in 1995 found permanent teaching posts in Ireland, 10 found part time or substitute teaching positions while one went abroad to teach. One student was seeking employment at the time of the survey.
Montessori
The Montessori diploma will not allow you to work as a qualified primary teacher. In addition, the Minister for Education has said that trainee teachers, who possess Montessori qualifications, are not eligible for any exemptions from the training course in the colleges of education for primary teachers. This means that the Montessori qualification cannot be used as a back door into primary teaching.
Remember, the Montessori diploma is a valid qualification in its own right. Montessori teachers are also recognised as teachers for certain categories of special schools.
Art and design
The National College of Art and Design offers a four year, course leading to a BA in art and design education. It also offers a one year, post diploma or post degree course leading to the Diploma for Art and Design Teachers. Both of these courses are recognised for teaching at second level.
Music
Trinity College, in association with the DIT College of Music and the Royal Irish Academy of Music, provides a four year course leading to an honours degree in music education. Irish and European history is offered as a complementary subject. There will be an entrance test in March and some applicants will also be called to an interview in early May.
Additional research by Emmet Oliver
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A telephone helpline will be available from Monday to Friday for the duration of this column from 10 am. to 11 a.m. Students and parents are invited to telephone us with their queries about colleges, courses and careers. Tel: (01) 679 8031