Minister for Irish, the Gaeltacht and the Islands and Donegal TD Joe McHugh today welcomed new Irish-medium teacher education programmes.
The new programmes at two colleges will deliver up to 60 new places for teacher training a year.
Minister McHugh said: “These new teachers will be a huge boost to the high standards and quality in Gaeltacht and Irish medium schools throughout the country.
“It will help to meet the growing demand for school places in Irish medium schools and help to ensure that youngsters who are growing up with the language get the guidance, support and leadership from teachers that they need to preserve and promote Irish.
“Castar na daoine ar a cheile, ach ni chastar no cnoic.”
The 60 new Irish-medium teacher education places are in addition to the 380 extra places on initial teacher education courses announced recently.
The announcement fulfills a key commitment in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, which was launched in 2016.
It is the first Gaeltacht specific education policy in the history of the state.
The new places are an important measure to ensure Irish medium schools in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas have an adequate supply of Irish medium teachers.
The two new Irish-medium teacher education programmes represent an investment of up to almost €7million, depending on uptake and will be delivered by the Marino Institute of Education and Mary Immaculate College.
Marino Institute of Education will deliver a 4-year Irish-medium Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) for primary teachers commencing in 2019 and Mary Immaculate College will run an Irish-medium Masters in Education (M.Ed.) for primary and post-primary teachers, including principals, commencing in 2018.
The education programmes were launched by Education Minister Richard Bruton.
He said: “Today’s announcement fulfils a key commitment in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, the first policy of its kind and our plan to promote excellence in Irish medium teaching in both the Gaeltacht and Irish medium schools.”
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