Applications for second-level teacher training places have soared to record levels as hundreds of office workers abandon jobs in computers and business for a life in the classroom.
New figures show that applications for the Higher Diploma in Education (H.Dip) - the gateway to second-level teaching - have increased, yet again, to 3,169.
This comes despite a dramatic slump in the numbers applying for places in most college courses this year. Among the applicants for the H.Dip this year, over 250 already hold Masters' degrees, while 30 hold a Ph.D. Some 25 hold accountancy qualifications, while dozens have various business degrees.
According to Prof John Coolahan of NUI Maynooth, the boom in teaching is sparked by the influx of hundreds of mature students from other jobs. "We find that many applicants for the H.Dip are turning away from the business world. They are put off by the long hours and the office-bound nature of their work. They find teaching more humane and more creative."
The record number of applicants means that only one-in-three can expect to secure a place on the H.Dip next year.
The downturn in the IT sector is another factor which helps explain the boom in teaching. Whereas applications for computer and IT courses have slumped dramatically recently, the popularity of teaching has increased. The record number of H.Dip applicants this year has surprised observers; it follows a 30 per cent increase in applications last year.
Prof Coolahan says the benchmarking award (which gives teachers a 21 per cent salary increase) will also help undergraduates and mature students to go teaching. The starting salary for a teacher with an honours degree is now €31,000.
Teaching remains dominated by women. Female applicants for the H.Dip outnumber men this year by almost three to one.
At primary level, over 16,000 CAO applicants expressed an interest in securing an education degree this year. Over 3,000 said this was their first preference. This figure was similar to last year, despite the slump in the number of CAO applications this year.
