Primary teacher training colleges are spending too long on academic subjects and not long enough on practical issues, the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, said yesterday.
She was reacting to a report on teaching standards which found that more than one third of student primary teachers were "fair" or "weak" in their classroom work and one in 20 was ineffective.
The Learning to Teach survey by the Department of Education found that most student primary teachers were good in their classroom work but 27 per cent were rated "fair, showing strengths but also with some significant weaknesses". A further 7 per cent were "experiencing general difficulty".
Ms Hanafin said it was worrying that catering for students differing abilities was found to be an area of weakness for most student teachers. Some two-fifths of student teachers had difficulty with this.
"It actually would be worrying because it is a core element of teacher training, that in any class irrespective of size you are going to get children of varying abilities," Ms Hanafin said on RTÉ Radio. She expressed concern at the amount of time spent by colleges on subjects not directly related to teaching.
"I would much rather that the time they spend on those academic subjects is more geared towards what is actually needed in the classroom today and that they would be integrating it better with the curriculum. And that they would also be spending more time on dealing with non- nationals, dealing with special needs, dealing with ICT [computers and information technology] in the classroom," she said.
The survey conducted in 2003/2004 examined the classroom work of 143 students on teaching practice from five teacher training colleges
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) questioned the timing of the leaked report which was published in yesterday's Irish Independent.
John Carr, INTO general secretary, said he believed the report was leaked to divert attention from the union's campaign on overcrowding in classrooms.
He said it highlighted the neglect of teacher training by the Department of Education. The INTO had been calling for a four-year teacher training course since 1995 but this had been ignored by the department, Mr Carr said.
"Young teachers are brilliant and they are bright. They are dedicated and committed. And instead of criticising young teachers, we should be bolstering up the support system," Mr Carr said.
"Give them a four-year programme in colleges, give them more time on teaching practice. Pay them when they are out on teaching practice," he said.
The report called for a closer working relationship between teacher training colleges and primary schools.
