General Information on the Teaching Council
| Page | Contents |
| 1 | About the Teaching Council |
| 2 |
Registration |
| 3 |
Regulating the Profession Garda Vetting of Teacher |
About the Teaching Council
The Teaching Council is a statutory body established by the Teaching Council Act, 2001 for the purpose of establishing the self regulation of the teaching profession like the Law Society or An Bord Altranais. This means that key functions which had formerly been carried out by the DES will now be taken over by the Teaching Council. This will give teachers a very important influence in educational matters, such as induction, teacher education and fitness to teach.
There are 37 members on the Council, of which the majority of teachers, 11 primary and 11 post-primary. In addition, there are nominees from the various colleges of education, universities, school management, national association of parents and appointees of the Minister for Education and Skills.
The Functions of the Teaching Council
The Teaching Council Act, 2001 prescribes a number of statutory functions for the Council:
- To promote teaching as a profession;
- To promote the continuing professional development of teachers;
- To establish and maintain a register of teachers;
- To establish, publish, review and maintain Codes of Professional Conduct for Teachers which include teaching knowledge, skill and competence;
- To regulate the teaching profession; and
- To maintain and improve standards of teaching, knowledge, skill and competence.