More information about teaching in Ireland

Primary school teachers teach the range of primary school subjects to children aged 4 to 12 years. There are Irish language requirements for primary teaching – teachers must be able to teach the Irish language and having studied Irish to Leaving Cert. level is required.

You can train to be a primary teacher either by doing an undergraduate degree or a two-year postgraduate Professional Master of Education (PME). A full list of accredited initial teacher education programmes can be found here.

Minimum requirements in mathematics, English and Irish at Leaving Cert. level are required to be a primary school teacher. Full details of entry requirements can be found here.

Information note regarding initial teacher education and certain overseas teacher qualifications (iQTS)

You can train to be a post-primary teacher either by doing an undergraduate degree or a two-year postgraduate Professional Master of Education (PME). A full list of accredited ITE programmes can be found here here.

If you are applying for the PME you should have at least one subject from the post-primary schools’ curriculum for the Leaving Certificate programme as part of your degree.

Post-primary teachers do not need to have a qualification in the Irish language unless they are employed by a Gaeltacht school or a Gaelcholáiste where teachers teach through Irish.

Information note regarding initial teacher education and certain overseas teacher qualifications (iQTS)

The main financial support available for eligible students attending full-time further and higher education courses is the student grant, which may include a maintenance grant or a fee grant, depending on eligibility.

Further information on bursaries and other financial supports and the criteria for the Free Fees Scheme are available at studentfinance.ie.

Other useful links:

• gov.ie/dfheris - information on other scholarship and bursary programmes not included on studentfinance.ie
• SUSI - Website for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), Ireland’s national awarding authority for all higher and further education grants

A number of universities and colleges provide courses to support access to initial teacher education for persons from groups which traditionally have been under-represented in teaching:

For Primary Teaching

Dublin City University (DCU):

• Bachelor of Education - Irish Sign Language

Maynooth University (MU):

• Turn to Teaching

Mary Immaculate College (MIC):

• Teacher Education Access Programme

Marino Institute of Education (MIE):

• Tobar

University College Cork (UCC):

• New Avenues to Teaching

For Post-Primary Teaching

Marino Institute of Education (MIE):

• Tobar

University College Cork (UCC):

• New Avenues to Teaching

For more information on the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) click here.

For information on applying through the Access Route (HEAR/DARE) click here

Most teachers are recruited and employed by the board of management of a school and paid by the Department of Education. In the case of Education and Training Board (ETB) schools, teachers are recruited, employed and paid by the ETB.

You can look for a teaching job:

By law, individuals who work with children and vulnerable persons must be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. The Teaching Council administers vetting for teachers in Ireland on behalf of employers (schools and ETBs). Schools/ ETBs are also required to receive and assess the vetting disclosures for employment purposes.

An incremental salary scales is in place for both primary and post-primary teachers.

Incremental credit may be awarded to qualified primary / post-primary teachers in recognition of relevant teaching and non-teaching service for the purposes of progression on the incremental salary scale. Full details can be found here.

The Department of Education has a comprehensive document covering all aspects of leave for teachers. It also covers the requirement to register with the Teaching Council (Section 30). More details can be found here.

Schools are required to be open for a minimum of 166 days at post-primary level and 182 days at primary level.

Full details on school holiday dates can be found here.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification of the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. The SEC annually employs thousands of teachers on a short-term temporary basis to supervise and mark the State examinations.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) advises the Minister for Education on:

• curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools
• assessment procedures used in schools and examinations on subjects which are part of the curriculum

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

Curriculum Online

Oide is a support service for teachers and school leaders, funded by the Department of Education, formed from the integration of four support services and launched on September 1, 2023.

These support services are the Centre for School Leadership (CSL), Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT), the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) and the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).

https://oide.ie/

Teaching Council

The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching.

School self-evaluation

School self-evaluation is a collaborative, inclusive, and reflective process of internal school review. An evidence-based approach, it involves gathering information from a range of sources, and then making judgements. All of this with a view to bring about improvements in students’ learning.

Hosted by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education, this website is designed to support both teachers and school leaders as they engage in the school self-evaluation process.

The Migrant Teacher Project aims to increase the participation of Immigrant Internationally Educated Teachers (IIETs) in Irish primary and post-primary schools. The project was established by Marino Institute of Education and it is co-funded by the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Education. The project provides information, advice and training to migrant teachers who have qualified outside of Ireland, to help them to continue their profession in Ireland.

Find more information here.

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