TU Dublin to Partner in New Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching
The Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has announced the launch of a new initiative that will provide a new education programme to upskill registered post-primary teachers to teach maths.
TU Dublin is a partner in the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching programme with the School of Mathematical Sciences coordinating the University's participation alongside the University of Limerick (lead institution), NUI Galway, Dublin City University, Cork IT, Letterkenny IT and Waterford IT. The programme will begin in January and funding has been provided for the first cohort of 115 teachers to take the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching. Ministers Harris and Foley also announced two other new education programmes in Physics and Spanish.
These new programmes are targeted at registered post-primary teachers. Each programme will enable participants to meet the Council’s curricular subject requirements in either mathematics, physics or Spanish. On graduation from the programme, participants will be able to register to teach the new subject at the highest level in post-primary education.
Minister Foley said: “I am delighted to announce, with my colleague Minister Harris, the establishment of these innovative new upskilling programmes. Our post-primary schools have highlighted teacher recruitment challenges in certain subject areas, including STEM and modern foreign languages. These programmes will support the supply of teachers to meet the needs of our schools and students over the coming years in three key subject areas, Mathematics, Physics and Spanish. I want to take this opportunity to thank the higher education institutions for coming forward with these approaches to help improve teacher supply in these subject areas and the HEA for their management of this process on behalf of my Department."
Minister Harris said: “I am delighted with the response from our higher education institutions in coming forward with innovative approaches to provide upskilling opportunities for teachers through these programmes. I want to commend all the institutions that responded to the HEA call. The recommended proposals are of the highest quality, and I am confident that participants will, over the two years of the programme, be empowered to become effective and enthusiastic teachers of these subjects."
The Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD are delighted to announce the launch of a new initiative that will see three new education programmes to upskill registered post-primary teachers to teach mathematics, physics and Spanish.
Following from the Teacher Supply Action Plan, the Department of Education requested the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to manage, on its behalf, a funding call to the higher education institutions for proposals for upskilling programmes for post-primary teachers. At the end of this process, three-level 8 programmes were recommended for funding by an external panel appointed by the HEA. These new programmes are targeted at registered post-primary teachers. Each programme will enable participants to meet the Council’s curricular subject requirements in either mathematics, physics or Spanish. On graduation from the programme, participants will be able to register to teach the new subject at the highest level in post-primary education.
Dr Alan Wall, Chief Executive of the HEA, said this is another great example of flexibility by our higher education institutions: “Building on the track record of our HEIs in providing quality upskilling programmes, the initiative provides a great professional learning opportunity for teachers and highlights the collaboration across the education continuum.”
The programme is free to eligible post-primary teachers and fully funded by the Department of Education and Skills as part of the national strategy to support the implementation of Teacher Supply Action Plan and improve standards in mathematics education in post-primary schools by upskilling out-of-field teachers of mathematics.
Any potential students interested in studying the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching can register their interest here.