Teaching in Northern Ireland
It is compulsory to have a recognised teacher training qualification in order to gain a permanent teaching post in primary or secondary schools in Northern Ireland.
In contrast with the rest of the UK, there are no shortage or priority subjects in Northern Ireland. Competition for teaching posts is extremely high and, as a result, many newly qualified teachers (NQTs) spend their first year in temporary teaching posts.
As in the rest of the UK, all candidates must, by law, satisfy ‘fitness to teach’ requirements and in Northern Ireland candidates must be checked by Access Northern Ireland before entering schools. This is similar to the Criminal Records Bureau checks in England and Wales.
In Northern Ireland, a teaching qualification is not mandatory for appointment to posts in FE. Full-time and associate lecturers in FE without a teaching qualification (such as a BEd or a PGCE) are expected to complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (Further Education) within three years of taking up a post. Candidates must have a degree/highest vocational qualification in the relevant subject as well as English and maths GCSE at grade C plus or equivalent.
The only recognised provider of the PGCE (FE) is the University of Ulster . Currently, lecturers who complete the PGCE (FE) are not qualified to teach in schools. To do so they must complete a further year of study to obtain the Diploma in Further and Higher Education.
Institutions offering PGCE courses in Northern Ireland do not participate in the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) scheme. Applicants should contact institutions directly for application forms and course details. Closing dates for PGCE courses range from November 2011 to February 2011 for September 2012 entry. Competition for places is high.
There are no teaching bursaries or golden hellos for teacher training in Northern Ireland.
Students on initial teacher training (ITT) courses will be eligible for a non means-tested loan for fees and a means-tested maintenance grant. Apply to the Education and Library Boards (ELB) Northern Ireland in the first instance.
Further details are available from the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) . Students can also visit Student Finance Northern Ireland or call the helpline on 0845 600 0662.
Schools in Northern Ireland follow the Northern Ireland curriculum. It is similar in structure to the curriculum in England and Wales, being split into:
However, the content reflects a greater emphasis on skills development, creativity and enterprise via a more minimalist statutory curriculum. An Entitlement Framework guarantees all pupils access to a minimum of 24 courses at Key Stage 4 and 27 courses at post-16, delivered through collaborative arrangements between schools.
Further details can be found at Northern Ireland Curriculum .
The Transfer Test (11+), which previously determined academic selection for secondary schools in Northern Ireland, is no longer used. Instead, the Department of Education recommends that schools determine transfer arrangements by community, geographical and family criteria. Many grammar schools, however, have introduced their own admissions tests.
Any student wishing to take up a post must have eligibility to teach and be registered with The General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) . Students who have trained outside Northern Ireland need to apply to the GTCNI to have their qualifications approved before they can register.
All newly qualified teachers (NQT), also known as ‘beginning teachers’ in Northern Ireland, need to successfully complete a year’s induction, see the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) for more information.
Getting a permanent teaching position is proving difficult for NQTs at the moment and as a result many are starting their teaching careers in temporary supply roles. Teachers wishing to do supply work in Northern Ireland need to be registered on the Northern Ireland Substitute Teacher Register (NISTR) . Job shortages mean that many residents of Northern Ireland who wish to teach will often choose to train and seek teaching positions in England.
Teachers are appointed by Management Committees which control the various types of schools in Northern Ireland. Details of these are available from the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) .
Teaching posts in Northern Ireland are advertised in:
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