personnel and university personnel in this activity noting that‘ideal partnerships
involve shared responsibility between the school and the university for the
assessment of student competence.’
This is not to underestimate the complex process involved in fostering authentic
partnership models based on trust and meaningful collaboration but in the absence
of a comprehensive and detailed framework which addresses all of the key issues,
notably the role, professional development and accreditation of cooperating
teachers, this policy change will only result in superficial change and not in any
meaningful deep-seated reform.
Despite the increased level of prescribed school placement within initial teacher
programmes where 25% of the duration of undergraduate programmes and 40% of
postgraduate programmes must be dedicated to practicum or school experience, the
concept of school-based teacher education has not become a feature of the Irish
landscape. In contrast to developments in other jurisdictions (Britain, Sweden),
recent policy decisions have reaffirmed the primary role in and contribution of
universities and higher education institutions to Irish teacher education.
11.4 The Place of University Education Within Teacher
Education
The establishment of the Teaching Council in 2006 heralded the first formal
encroachment of the state into the autonomy of teacher educators within the uni-
versities and colleges of education. Previously, while the Inspectorate maintained a
brief to review the performance of 10% of primary-level student teachers during
theirfinal practicum, other than the quality assurance processes within higher
education carried out by external examiners and peer review, decisions on the
content and nature of initial teacher education programmes were the preserve of
university staff. While one of thefirst activities of the Council was to articulate the
core values and standards within the teaching profession, it soon turned its attention
to the review of initial teacher education programmes. Established providers were
asked to volunteer to pilot the accreditation process in 2009 and four
colleges/departments, two primary level and two second-level providers, engaged in
the process. Review panels were established by the Council comprising represen-
tatives of the teaching profession and the Inspectorate, and chaired by a leading
teacher educationist. While the reports on each piloted programme contained
specific programme-related recommendations, they also referred to potential system
level reforms which the panels deemed desirable. The Council, under the aegis of
the Department of Education and Skills and as an advisory body to the Minister, did
not have the authority to fundamentally reshape the structure and content of initial
teacher education. However, it had created a platform for engagement with the
continuum of teacher education and following the disappointing results of Irish
15-year-old students in PISA, the DES sought to avail of an opportunity to address
172 T. O’Doherty and J. Harford