Hibernia Online Secondary HDip

sitstill

Just read today that Hibernia College are currently looking at starting up a HDipEd programme for secondary teachers using online instruction, similar to their primary one. They're currently looking for a course director.

What do people think of this? Is it a good move, given that many people are graduating from the current HDipEd programmes to find full time jobs only if they're lucky?

gaeilgegrinds

I've no problem with Hibernia, in fact I think they're very progressive in their thinking. However I think it's not necessary as there are so many teachers unemployed or not on full contracts.

Rosita

Is it a good move for the profession generally? Probably not if there are more teachers than jobs even now.

But if Hibernia can get a full house every ten months at €8 grand a pop it's a hell of a good move for them.

And it is the latter consideration that will be the over-riding one.

Hiobernia must really be in super-profit territory when they can charge more than the universities/teacher training colleges with I imagine not a fraction of the overheads.

funktastic

Well good luck to them seeing as there's a serious over-supply of teachers in secondary at the moment apart from Irish/Home Ec/Woodwork

BoozyBabe

The worrying thing for me is that perhaps they're making this move cos they know something I don't!!!

I.E. The government is about to decide there are enough qualified primary teachers now & therefore not grant them a license to run the primary post grad anymore.

I mean, it's bound to stop soon, wouldn't you think!!! Hopefully I manage to get my foot in the door before this happens.

I wonder how do they plan on doing this? Like, do you need to have an hons degree in the subjects you hope to teach at sec school & then the post grad will simply give you the teaching tools, or will it be like the primary, have an hons degree in anything & then perhaps pick the subjects to teach during the postgrad??

funktastic

To qualify as a secondary teacher with the Teaching Council you need a degree in the subjects you want to teach. It's more specialised at secondary so I can't see how people with a degree in anything will be allowed to teach what the like. In that case I'd have a permanent job in secondary a long time ago! I'm sure the unions would kick up **** too

sitstill

Yeah I'd imagine it will have a similar requirement to the current programmes, having a degree with LC subjects in it will be needed to get a place. But what worries me is, people will pay a lot of money for the course to find out there are very few jobs. The jobs market is already full of teachers desperate for work.

I think it's the wrong move for Hibernia. The Primary postgrad was needed at the time it was introduced because there was an acute shortage of qualified teachers. This is not the case at secondary and I feel they might just be trying to make a quick buck.