Teacher qualifications
- How are teachers regulated in Ireland?
- What qualifications do I need to be a teacher?
- Teachers who qualified outside Ireland
- Continuing professional development
- Registration of teachers
How are teachers regulated in Ireland?
Teachers in Ireland are regulated by the Teaching Council.
A teacher must register with the Teaching Council before they can:
- Work in a State-funded recognised school
- Be paid from public funds
To register, you need Garda vetting. This applies to primary and post-primary teachers. The Teaching Council has more details about teacher registration.
Teachers must also have the relevant qualifications (see ‘What qualifications do I need to be a teacher?’ below).
Code of conduct for teachers
The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for teachers, and its code of conduct covers:
- Standards of teaching
- Knowledge
- Skill
- Competence
It can investigate teachers who are suspected of being unfit to teach, and impose sanctions on them.
The Department of Education and Youth has a section called ‘Initial Teacher Education and Professional Development’. This section funds and manages training for teachers in primary schools and post-primary schools.
What qualifications do I need to be a teacher?
The Teaching Council sets the standards of academic achievement and professional training required of teachers.
Primary teachers
Primary school teachers must be qualified to teach all primary school subjects to children aged 4 to 12.
You also must be able to teach the Irish language. You need to get a certain grade in your Irish Leaving Certificate exams, including the oral exam (the specific grade you need depends on the college you go to).
Or, if you’re training as a primary teacher following a post-graduate course, you must get at least 65% in an Irish oral exam.
See a list of recognised colleges where you can train to be a primary school teacher, and the rules for the Irish language requirement, on the Teaching Council’s website.
Post-primary teachers
Post-primary teachers can qualify in 2 ways:
- Complete a 4-year undergraduate programme, called the post-primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE), accredited by the Teaching Council.
- Complete an undergraduate degree in at least one approved curricular subject (pdf), and then get a Professional Masters in Education.
See the list of colleges where you can train to be a post-primary teacher.
Post-primary teachers do not need a qualification in the Irish language, unless they are employed in an Irish-speaking school or wish to teach Irish.
Student teachers
Student teachers who have successfully completed the first 2 years of an accredited undergraduate Initial Teacher Education programme can apply for registration with the Teaching Council.
Teachers who qualified outside Ireland
If you’re a teacher who qualified abroad, you must get your qualifications recognised before you can teach in Ireland. You also need to be vetted and meet certain language requirements.
Read our page Returning to Ireland as a teacher for more information.
Teachers who qualified in Ukraine
If you qualified as a teacher in Ukraine and have been granted EU Temporary Protection, you can apply to work as a teacher in Ireland. Read about the registration process for teachers from Ukraine on the Teaching Council’s website.
Foreign language assistants scheme
Post-primary schools can employ foreign language assistants who are native speakers of the following languages:
- French
- German
- Spanish
- Italian
- Japanese
This can help students understand and speak a foreign language, and understand the way of life and customs of other countries.
You can read about the rules for foreign language assistants, including how they work and get vetted, on Gov.ie.
Continuing professional development
Teachers can continue their professional development through various supports funded by the Department of Education and Youth.
Education Support Centres Ireland
The nationwide network of Education Support Centres provide professional and personal development courses for teachers at local, regional and national level.
Oide
Oide provides professional learning supports and services to teachers and school leaders. Its website has online learning modules, policy documents, and classroom resources to support teachers in the classroom.
Training for special educational needs
Teachers can attend seminars and webinars and get a variety of resources from the National Council for Special Education.
Registration of teachers
Teachers employed in State-funded teaching positions in recognised schools must be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from public funds.
Garda vetting and a character reference is required to register. The Teaching Council provides details of registration for teachers.