Published
With the largest professional register in the country, the Teaching Council now has a record 122,743 teachers on the Register of Teachers an increase of 4,311 teachers on the same period last year. 7,755 new registrants entered the register in that period.
On the publication of the Annual Report Eamon Dennehy, the Chairperson of the Teaching Council said: “this report reflects the Teaching Council’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the standards of the teaching profession in Ireland while engaging regularly and meaningfully with all stakeholders. Over the past year, the Council has made significant strides across its strategic pillars; namely, teacher registration and supply, the development of collaborative professional communities, ensuring fitness to teach, corporate resourcing and sustainable operations. Promoting teaching as a profession and maintaining an environment of public trust in teachers in Ireland is essential”.
3,792 new graduates completed registration via the Council’s fast-track Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) registration process during the summer period, compared to 3,603 the previous year.
A total of 6,873 teachers engaged in Droichead, the Council’s integrated induction framework for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). We also advanced our national review of the Droichead framework to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the profession.
The Teaching Council, as the relevant organisation for the vetting of teachers, vetted 48,145 teachers for initial registration, registration renewal and employment purposes.
Commenting on the publication of the Annual Report, Dr Lynn Ramsey, Director of the Teaching Council said, “the public interest is central to our role, which involves the statutory registration and vetting of teachers, regulating professional standards and ensuring the protection of children, young people and vulnerable learners. We have made significant progress in enhancing the efficiency of our processes. This includes the faster and more efficient processing of registration, renewal and vetting requirements, leading to further reductions in processing times, in support of teacher supply.”
In collaboration with the Department of Education, the Teaching Council prepared its groundbreaking longitudinal research study, Teachers’ Professional Journeys: The First Decade. Running until 2030, this study aims to capture the early career experiences of teachers across primary, post-primary, and further education. The insights gathered will inform policies on initial teacher education, induction, and early professional development, ensuring that our approaches are grounded in real-world evidence and experiences.
The Teaching Council receives and investigates complaints in relation to registered teachers. During the year nine inquiries were conducted, seven of which were heard in full and two were dismissed at preliminary hearing stage. Three sanction decisions were confirmed by the High Court, and all three were removed from the national register of teachers.
Between March 2023 and March 2024, 40 programmes at 11 Higher Education Institutions were approved under Céim (standards for initial teacher education). One new programme, the Postgraduate Diploma in Further, Adult, and Community Action (PDFACE) was also approved while the Council also received submissions for three new programmes of initial teacher education during the reporting year.
The Council’s Annual Report 2023/2024 is available to view and download on our website.