The Teaching Council is the professional body for teaching in Ireland. It was established on a statutory basis in March 2006 to promote teaching as a profession at Primary and Post-Primary levels, to promote the professional development of teachers and to regulate standards in our profession.
TUI has five members on the Teaching Council, two of whom are nominees and three who are elected. See www.teachingcouncil.ie for full details.
In 2012 the Council issued a revised Code of Professional Conduct which underpins the professional conduct and professional practice of all registered teachers. See www.teachingcouncil.ie for full details.
The Teaching Council is the authorised body for administering vetting for teachers in Ireland. Under section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001, teachers employed in recognised schools must be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from public monies by the Department of Education and Skills or an Education and Training Board (ETB).
Newly qualified teachers in schools with 400+ students are required to complete the Droichead induction process. NQTs in schools with less than 400 students may complete the Droichead process (if they are in a school that has registered as a Droichead school). If not, they are required to complete the NIPT programme, which includes twenty hours of induction workshops, to be eligible for full registration. Details are available through your principal or the national office atwww.nipt.ie.
Part 5 (Fitness to Teach) of the Teaching Council Act
Part 5 (Fitness to Teach) of the Teaching Council Act relates to the Council’s role in investigating complaints relating to registered teachers. Any member who receives correspondence from the Teaching Council in relation to a Part 5 complaint should immediately contact the union at adolan@tui.ie