Published
The Teaching Council has opened a public consultation on proposed new registration regulations. The consultation period runs from 27 August to 27 September, 2024.
The proposed regulations will replace the existing registration regulations, being the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 444 of 2016), as amended.
The public consultation will also include a proportionality assessment on the proposed registration regulations, in line with Directive (EU) 2018/958.
Periodically, the Teaching Council reviews its regulations to ensure it continues to work in the best interests of the public. The Council has recently undertaken a periodic review and has proposed a number of changes in line with the Council’s objectives of maintaining standards of teaching and regulating the teaching profession.
Full details on the public consultation including how to take part can be found on the Teaching Council’s website.
We encourage all interested parties to share their insights.
Background information
The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Our role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. We do this through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession, whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct.
Many of the registration requirements under the existing registration regulations will remain the same. Amendments are being proposed in the following areas:
- In order to be eligible for registration with the Teaching Council, applicants must satisfy qualification requirements. The current qualification requirements for registration are set out in the existing registration regulations. The majority of the qualification requirements remain the same, however, there are some amendments.
- The same applies for teachers who apply for renewal of registration. The proposed registration regulations introduce new requirements regarding the documentation and information an applicant is required to submit as part of their application for renewal of registration.
- An applicant can apply for registration with the Teaching Council under various “routes”. For example, if an applicant wants to teach as a primary school teacher, they will make an application for registration via Route 1 Primary. There are different ways an applicant can apply for registration under the various routes. The options available under the different routes largely remain the same. However, under the proposed registration regulations, there are some small amendments.
- When a teacher has registered with the Teaching Council, they are issued with a certificate of registration. Certain information is contained on the certificate. Under the proposed registration regulations, certain amendments are being made to the information which will be contained on the certificate of registration.
- The Teaching Council is responsible for maintaining a register of teachers. If an applicant is registered with the Teaching Council, certain information will be entered onto the Register. The information contained on the Register will largely remain the same under the proposed registration regulations. However, some amendments are proposed.
The closing date for submissions to this consultation is 27 September 2024.