Courses to allow teachers to qualify in new subjects | Breaking News & Latest Ireland Updates

Courses to allow teachers to qualify in new subjects — Education Correspondent Second-level teachers will be able to qualify to instruct in three new subject areas through programmes that will be offered i...

Education Correspondent

Second-level teachers will be able to qualify to instruct in three new subject areas through programmes that will be offered in Dublin and Limerick from September.

TU Dublin, Trinity College and University of Limerick will offer upskilling courses for teachers in Computer Science, French, and Politics and Society.

Similar upskilling programmes, aimed at addressing a shortage of qualified teachers in specific subject areas are already running in Spanish, Mathematics, Physics and Irish.

Announcing the new programmes Minister for Education Helen McEntee said providing more upskilling opportunities for teachers was vital in supporting teachers, but also in helping to address teacher supply.

"These courses are free and will help teachers to upskill in a flexible way, increasing their own job opportunities while addressing recruitment challenges in each of these subjects," she said.

Graduates of the programmes are then able to register to teach the subjects as qualified teachers.

The new courses are open to all qualified post-primary teachers, whether they are working or not.