How to Become a Teacher in Ireland

Teaching is the perfect vocation for people who want to educate and inspire the next generation. There is a huge need for teachers in Ireland, with a teacher shortage affecting pupils and staff all over the country, so if you are looking to get into teaching, there has never been a better time.

 Discover how to become a teacher below and kick-start a life-changing career.

The day-to-day duties of a teacher centre around caring for and educating children in primary or secondary school. Teachers are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the children in their care, educating them according to the national curriculum and ensuring that they have what they need to succeed in their learning journey. 

The daily duties of a qualified teacher in Ireland include: 

The average teacher’s salary in Ireland is €60,000. A secondary school teacher’s salary tends to be higher than a primary school teacher’s salary in Ireland, however, with post-primary teachers earning an average of €61,200 and primary school teachers earning around €59,800.

The qualifications that you need to become a teacher in Ireland will depend on the level that you want to teach at, with primary and secondary school teaching having different qualification requirements. 

Both levels, however, require you to have at least an undergraduate degree and have completed a two-year postgraduate course known as a Professional Master of Education (PME). Altogether, these initial teacher education programmes altogether will last four to five years full-time. However, there are some higher education institutes which offer a four-year Bachelor of Education degree accredited by The Teaching Council. 

Exploring and comparing Teaching courses is the best way to learn more about the qualifications you’ll need to begin your teaching career in Ireland.

Primary-level teachers teach children aged 4-12. Alongside a PME, primary-level teachers in Ireland are required to have studied Irish to Leaving Certificate Level as well as obtain Leaving Cert Level in English and Maths. These are essential entry requirements for teacher training. There are no subject requirements you need to have studied in your primary degree and no grade requirement for your PME, although most employers in the teaching profession prefer at least Second Class Honours or above. 

Children in Ireland are in compulsory education until the age of 16. Therefore secondary-level teachers teach children aged 11 to 16. As a post-primary level teacher, you will need to study at least one subject from the curriculum for post-primary schools, as dictated by The Teaching Council, for the Leaving Certificate programme part of your degree. There is also no Irish language requirement at leaving certificate level unless teaching in a school where lessons are taught in Irish such as a Gaeltacht school or a Gaelcholáiste.

Being a good teacher requires a variety of skills, from hard skills, such as having a good knowledge base, to soft skills, such as being good at communication. Some of the key skills that primary and secondary-level teachers need include: 

This wide range of skills is not an exhaustive list for a great teacher, and if you need to develop some of these skills, then there are many ways to do so. Teacher training and Teaching courses will teach you key teaching techniques and aspects of child learning and development, as well as develop your presentation skills. Another great way to develop key skills such as communication is through work experience. 

Work experience is not required to enter on to a teacher training course, however, it is highly desired. Gaining work experience is a great way to develop some of the key skills you will need to become a teacher, such as confidence in working with children, leadership skills and gaining experience using different teaching techniques. Having experience in a school environment and teaching children can also help you decide whether teaching is the right career path for you.

You can explore work experience opportunities online and find schools which offer work experience placements, contact schools directly and/or explore volunteering opportunities with children and young people. 

There are several teaching job opportunities for teachers to specialise in certain areas with additional training, and following your teacher training, you will have several opportunities to explore further education opportunities. For example, you could specialise in teaching children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or work in pastoral care. There is also the opportunity to move into higher level roles such as head of year, deputy head or head teacher, or to explore government roles such as within the Department of Education.