Teaching council foreign teachers help please!

pinkpoodle111

Hi guys,

here is my story...
I am qualified under further education with the TC since last year.
I am currently teaching Resource and learning support for the last three years at a secondary school.
I am hoping to register with the TC for post- primary now since last November. They have every document that has been required but now they are asking me for a "EU directive letter". I have spoken to the federal ministry of education and research in my home country and to probably 15 other institutions, but no one has ever heard about and cant provide me with this document. I spoke to someone yesterday again in the NFOI and they were very surprised that the TC is requiring this, they had never heard about it either.
They are an absolute disaster to deal with. About 5 times documents have "been lost" in the post, they never arrived in Maynooth apparently. I am living here for 8 years now and nothing has ever gotten lost, in my opinion the Irish post is extremely reliable.

It seems as if they are trying to make my life hard again, like the first time around. It took them over a year to process my application.
If I dont get this PP teaching council number, then I wont be paid for the third time in a row for the summer, which puts immense financial pressure on me and my family.
Has anyone ever experienced a similar case?
Can someone provide me with info regarding where and how to get this EU directive letter?
I have found a lot of info on it, but as mentioned already no one can provide me with it.
It all seems a bit strange to me.
Many Thanks in advance

spurious

I would throw it back at them. They take enough money off existing teachers. Tell them you want clear and unambiguous instructions about what this letter is and where to get it by Friday this week. If they do not send you that, tell them you will presume it is not as 'necessary' as they are saying it is.

They make me sick the carry on of them when people are trying to get registered.

Snapgal

Oh God help you. I am a foreign language teacher and even though qualified over 15 years I never ever heard of that document. I would advise you if you are get in a union to get on to your union and ask them.
I registered with the TC back in 2006 and paid up my registration fee every year presuming everything was in order. It wasn't until last year when I was job searching that on the online cert my subjects were not listed on it!!! I immediately rang the TC. The way they spoke to me was absolutely awful - very arrogant and were trying to make out it was all my fault that I hadn't sent in all needed documentation to them when I did plus they had continued to take my money without subjects registered.They told me also that teachers not registered in subject or qualified to teach in can teach those up to Leaving Cert hons as I know an ex colleague a teaching core subject up to leaving cert hons level who doesn't have subject in her degree. I think if parents knew this they wouldn't be happy.

pinkpoodle111

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all your replies and advice.
It is very much appreciated.
I sent in another document to the TC, it got lost twice... eventually arrived but guess what it is not the correct one AGAIN. She suggested to me that if I cant provide them with the EU Directive letter, she could forward my application to IMI. She couldnt explain to me what that company actually does or what is involved in this process. I suppose I just have to stick with it. Has anyone experience with this campany?

Thanks again :-)

Postgrad10

Did you she tell what IMI stood for?

spurious

They are really taking the proverbial.

Get the union rep in your school (it does not matter if you are in the Union or not), to ring the TC, tell them they are ringing on behalf of whatever Union it is and ask them what the hell this document is. Get them to get the name of whatever minion they are dealing with.
If they won't do it themselves, get the name of someone higher up in the Union and ask them to do it.

Really it is ridiculous that anyone is treated like this.

evolving_doors

spurious wrote: »

They are really taking the proverbial.

Get the union rep in your school (it does not matter if you are in the Union or not), to ring the TC, tell them they are ringing on behalf of whatever Union it is and ask them what the hell this document is. Get them to get the name of whatever minion they are dealing with.
If they won't do it themselves, get the name of someone higher up in the Union and ask them to do it.

Really it is ridiculous that anyone is treated like this.

I concur, there are people from unions nominated to serve on the teaching council board.
http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/About-Us/Structure-of-the-Council/Council-Members/

Find out who they are and track them down before the school year ends!
TUI and ASTI are the 2 secondary unions.
You could also try other teachers who are members.

Generally for nontypical cases the TC make things up as they go along.

pinkpoodle111

Hi guys,

So I spoke to several people in the meantime.
The TUI basically said they cant and wont help as I'm not a member and cant become a member unless I am registered as a secondary school teacher with the TC. Great isnt it?!?
And my application has been forwarded to the IMI, the update just came in this morning and it says the following...

"I can confirm that we received correspondence from IMI and they advised that you do not have a Teaching quality according to EU Directive 2005/
36/EC and that you are not a registered teacher under the directive 2005/
36/EC. Based on this we would not be able to file your profile for assessments."


What am I going to do now?!?!?!?
I'm gutted and at the end of my patience with them I have to admit.

Any suggestions?
Your help and advice is much appreciated.

spurious

Who or what is IMI?

evolving_doors

Maybe some more background could help us dig a bit!

Where did you do your teacher training?
What year? I think rules are different if its either before or after 2011
What subjects?

strawberrie

You don't say if you are a fully registered/licensed post primary teacher in the country you qualified in or not.
If you are not, then you are not entitled to register as a post primary teacher here.

pinkpoodle111

spurious wrote: »

Who or what is IMI?

She still couldn't tell me what it stands for.

pinkpoodle111

strawberrie wrote: »

You don't say if you are a fully registered/licensed post primary teacher in the country you qualified in or not.
If you are not, then you are not entitled to register as a post primary teacher here.

I'd never try to go through a process like this if I wouldn't be a fully registered teacher in my home country where I qualified. Of course am I Iicensed and registered.

pinkpoodle111

evolving_doors wrote: »

Maybe some more background could help us dig a bit!

Where did you do your teacher training?
What year? I think rules are different if its either before or after 2011
What subjects?

I did my training in Germany and finished in 2003. I qualify for teaching german and English and also for teaching children and adults with special needs.

pinkpoodle111

Thanks for all your help so far guys!

strawberrie

I reckon the IMI are the equivalent of the teaching council in your country of birth....and if you do not have a teaching qualification /teacher status/ license there you are not eligible for one here.

If you are qualified in Germany you need a letter from their equivalent of the teaching council/ministry to state you are qualified there. That should do it

Ih8thetcofI

I am so sorry to hear that the TC are treating you this way, but it is nothing new. They should have given you temporary registration, so that you could at least get paid. The fact that the TC's behaviour is putting you under financial pressure is a disgrace.
The TC are the most dishonest organisation in the country. While they treat teachers of Irish nationality badly, they are particularly nasty to foreign teachers, and people with foreign sounding names. Nothing is below this shambles of an organsation.
Some teachers and their families have had to leave Ireland due to the pressures inflicted on them by the TC. The Irish postal service is very reliable, the TC however, have a reputation for claiming that items posted "never arrived."
My advice is similar to that mentioned before:

- join a union and discuss the issue with them.

- seek a meeting with your local TD(s).

- continue to engage with the TC (but do not trust them), and send all items by registered post, or deliver in person and get a receipt.

- Email the Minister of the Dept. of Education, and explain what has happened so far.

The TC does not like strong, determined individuals, so that is what you must be. If the TD you meet is not helpful, then find a better one.

strawberrie

She has tried joining a union and hasn't been able to.
There is no such thing as temporary registration with the teaching council so that doesn't help either.
While a td could ask questions on your behalf they won't be able to get anything done any quicker!
I wonder does anyone know someone who has registered as a teacher who came from Germany who could help this person with details of what proof of registered teacher status was accepted.

strawberrie

If that doesn't help I'd recommend getting  legal advice. If you are a fully registered teacher in Germany you are entitled to be registered in Ireland too

Skye123

Is the IMI the Internal Market Information system?

I think it’s an IT system or database that lets different countries check on the professional status/qualification of people throughout Europe.

Is your registration in Germany still up to date?

williaint

I would just draft the letter myself saying you are fully qualified and registered for X subjects and X age range and such a qualification is recognised under the EU directive. Then send this letter to the relevant Bundesland where you did your Refendariat for their approval and I'm sure they will stamp it for you. There are definitely German nationals who trained in Germany teaching in Ireland so IT IS possible. My own teacher in school was a German national with the same subjects as yours.

On the flipside it is equally a nightmare to become registered as a teacher in Germany as I know several people who tried and gave up. If you haven't done Lehramt or your Referendariat in Germany it is extremely difficult...I have an American friend who had to go back and do the 2 year Refendariat even though she was already fully qualified in the States!

november111

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for your help. It's very much appreciated.
I can't join the teachers union unless I'm registered as a post primary teacher... how ironic. I've seeked help from two local TDs and also contacted the minister of education. There's been no genuine support or success. I'm at my limit now with the TC. I'm financially scraping by due to this but also at the end of my patience. I really don't know what to be doing anymore. I feel like there's been no support from them and a process like this doesn't encourage young people to go ahead and become a teacher. If I'd tell my own students about these hurdles, who are considering this job, then they would certainly rethink their career path. At this stage I feel like giving up. Rant over, Sorry!

spurious

I'm so sorry the Teaching Council have messed you about. If it is any consolation they do the same to Irish people too. Not fit for purpose, whatever their actual purpose is.

With nothing left to lose, if I were you, I would send details of your situation to everyone I could think of. The Minister for Education here, the Taoiseach, the union reps on the useless Teaching Council, the German Ambassador, the Union heads, every local TD and councillor, as many people as possible and get them all to ask the TC to explain why they appear to be thwarting your attempts to register.

Let holy hell rain down on the beflowered offices in Maynooth and interrupt their real coffee drinking for a few hours. Christ, they make me so angry, especially knowing I pay for their services to the teaching profession.