NEWLY TRAINED primary school teachers have expressed frustration after they were told this week of delays in their final diploma qualification.
Letters were sent out by the Department of Education this week to the teachers saying that “due to the large number of applications” there were insufficient inspectors available to carry out final-examination classroom inspections.
All newly qualified primary school teachers must complete a one-year diploma in order to be fully qualified. The diploma involves “visits” by inspectors to evaluate the teacher’s ability in a classroom environment.
According to young teachers, it is not the first time letters of this nature have been sent out by the department.
This time last year, trainee teachers received a similar letter citing a lack of inspectors as the reason for a delay in receiving their diploma classroom inspections.
A graduate teacher from St Patrick’s in Drumcondra, who received her letter last Thursday, said: “After three years in college, it’s disappointing that I won’t be fully qualified. I was lucky to get a job in September of this year, but I have no guarantee that I will have a job next year. If I don’t have a job I can’t get my diploma.”
The lack of inspectors is being blamed on budget cutbacks. Teachers who received the letter this week were told they would be given priority over next year’s new applicants for the diploma.