Below is a short post from a student teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, on a decision made by our country's universities to down-grade the Post Graduation Diploma in Education (PGDE) from a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 9 qualification to a Level 8 (at the same level as a Higher Degree) - without any consultation with the students who have registered and paid for their course. The course is also being renamed a Professional Diploma in Education. This is the final year that the "H-Dip" will be a one year course, being replaced by a two year long course from 2012. It is unclear if the new course will be a NFQ Level 8 or 9.
There has no coverage of this story by any newspaper or online news site, principally because only one university has informed the students on the changes. The student teacher, who has a legal background, outlines the many problems associated with the changes - which appear to me to constitute a breach of contract in the very least with everyone having registered and paid for the course advertised as a NFQ Level 9 qualification. The changes - which have been implemented and not merely suggested - seem outrageous to me, especially considering media outcry on the use of under-qualified individuals in teaching positions. Interestingly, when contacted, the ASTI and the Teaching Council were unaware of the changes and were unable to provide any advice to the student teacher. Anyway, this is what our student teacher has to say, describing the situation as "a real case of more stress and officially less success".
As I sat in my PGDE lecture the other day I was treated at the start to the usual drudgery of announcements, one flippant remark was made as the announcer was about to exit the theatre. It was something along these lines:
Just to let you all know the course has been renamed the Professional Diploma in Education, it has also been downgraded to level 8 from level 9 on the NFQ framework.
Interesting, I thought, we were told if we had any questions please send an email. Out the announcer waltzed and the lecture started!
So what does this mean for this year’s PGDE / (PDE!!) students? Well, there are some serious questions which need answering!
- Is the qualification still internationally recognised?
- Are we going to be the only level 8 year? If the course becomes 2 years will the new course be level 8 or 9?
- When we are qualified will we be on the same pay scale as teachers with the level 9 qualification?
- Has the cost of the course been reduced in line with its downgrade? Will we be getting a refund?
- Will students be able to get a grant for the course considering they already have a level 8 qualifications to get on the course?
- Will this year’s students be disadvantaged when interviewing for a position against a candidate with a level 9 qualification?
As it can be seen this change has brought up numerous issues which affect all of this year’s PGDE students, all of whom applied, were accepted, registered and paid for the PGDE not the PDE. On a very simple level this looks to be a cheap shot, a badly disguised austerity measure. What is more frustrating is there has been no communication on the issue, nobody in the School of Education can answer any of these questions as they plainly don’t seem to know. The Teaching Council also didn’t know of this change when contacted.
Please leave your comments below as I feel this issue of a grave importance. We already have a situation where new entrants into the teaching profession will be paid 10% less than their colleagues, and on a lower pay scale. Another blow such as this is going to detract talented young minds from the teaching profession, causing further problems down the road. Please, pass on this post also.
Shocking and utterly wrong - but sadly typical at the same time. I had a blow out with the Education Department in the university where I did my H.DIp and through dogged perseverance we got our way as a class in the end. Basically I went to the Students Union, explained our case, then submitted a request under the freedom of information act and cc'd the letter to the Education Department of the University, the Dean of Arts, the President of the University, the President of the Students' Union. It got sorted out in the end because they could see I wasn't going to back down.
ReplyDeleteAnyway this might be the way forward??? You can send me a message on twitter (@evelynoconnor) or via www.leavingcertenglish.net if you'd like to chat. I will say it was a long and tiring battle but if you become a potentially embarassing thorn in their side they'll probably at least answer your questions???
Best of luck!
ps sorry this is anonymous, couldn't get the select profile thingummy to work!
Update from the NQAI on this issue:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nqai.ie/ProfessionalDiplomainEducation_000.html
I'm sceptical! It seems like the universities have been calling the course a Post Graduate Diploma when it was not even recognised under the NFQ!! In my opinion the universities still have a case to answer.
This is extraordinary - this statement from the NQAI suggests that the H-Dip was never recognised by the NFQ!
ReplyDeleteThe “Professional Diploma in Education”: new title for university initial post-primary
teaching qualification, for programmes starting in the academic year 2011/2012.
Following detailed consultation between the Irish universities and the National Qualifications
Authority of Ireland in the context of the ongoing process of implementing the National
Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), the universities have agreed that the initial post-primary
teaching qualification, hitherto known as the Higher Diploma in Education and latterly as the
Graduate or Postgraduate Diploma in Education, is to be formally included in the NFQ at
Level 8 with immediate effect.
Since the launch of the NFQ in 2003, and pending its full implementation, a varied
nomenclature has been used by the universities to designate the initial post-primary teaching
qualification. In general, prior to 2006, the title of the qualification preferred by the
universities was the Higher Diploma in Education. Since 2006, this has been gradually
replaced by the title Postgraduate or Graduate Diploma in Education. A full list of the titles
used by the universities for the qualification in the period 2005-11 is set out below.
As a result of the decision to include the initial post-primary teaching qualification at NFQ
Level 8, the title Postgraduate/Graduate Diploma in Education, which is associated with NFQ
Level 9, will be replaced with the new title Professional Diploma in Education to avoid
confusion with the Level 9 award type. This new award title will be used by all universities
for programmes starting in the academic year 2011/2012. All qualification titles used prior to
2011 (legacy titles), as set out in the table below, and in the years prior to 2005, are also
included in the NFQ at Level 8.
The Professional Diploma in Education remains, like its predecessors the Higher Diploma in
Education and the Postgraduate/Graduate Diploma in Education, the initial post-primary
teaching qualification recognised by the Teaching Council for the purposes of entry on the
Register as a post-primary teacher. It is a Level 8 qualification associated with a graduate
entry programme, and as such is consistent with the Higher Diploma award type. The
adoption of the new title by the universities will not, therefore, affect student entitlements
under the existing Student Maintenance Grant Schemes. This has been confirmed in the 2011
Student Grant Scheme, see Article 17 (2) (a).1
1
NUIG website seems to think it's still a one year course, although they have changed the name to PDE.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nuigalway.ie/education/ite/pde/pde_home.html
It seemed bizarre today in lectures. It was like most of the class had taken the 'happy pill' and everyone was just getting on with things.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an email communication on Saturday 15 Oct evening at 21:10PM and the same communication by MS Word attachment this morning at 09:14am Monday 17 Oct from the School of Education has assuaged people's ire and smoothed their ruffled feathers.
It appears that the majority are prepared to wait for a process and procedure to gather information and report back to them. An interesting approach - I wonder does that reflect the feeling of all the PGDE 2011-2012 classes and students in the country tonight?
Storm in a tea-cup, or mountain out of a molehill? I guess it depends on your viewpoint and what you've invested in this process and any assumptions with regard to your future that you've made.
A fait accompli springs to mind when I glanced around at the bowed heads scribbling away earlier today ...
I feel sick!! Can't believe I spent nearly 10K getting a level 9 post grad that has now changed to level 8.... What is happening in this country?
ReplyDeleteI find this really bizarre as I was never under the impression that the PGDE was a level 9. I entered the PGDE, understanding fully that I was doing a level 8. My PGDE was only 60 credits so that alone should have shown that it was only a level 8.I did a masters the year before my PGDE and that was a 90 credit course. I could not get a grant for my PGDE as I had already completed a level 9 course. The PGDE was seen as going back a level i.e. going to a level 8. I was never told I was doing a level 9 course. I did my PGDE in UCD in 2009/2010. I distinctly remember being told it was a level 8.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand how they can retrospectively change a course as there is talk of downgrading the qualification of those who did their Dip from 2004 onwards. All the logic in the world cannot explain how this can possibly be done? Also, it is incredibly unfair that those who have already signed up the course are having the terms and conditions changed. The most important thing is the recognitoin of the qualification to teach worldwide. From a personal point of view, I always understood it was a level 8 qualification as my masters is level 9 and there is no way that the dip is worth anywhere near the academic recognition that my MSc is. I also completed my PDGE in UCD 09/10. L. Carey
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056426870
ReplyDeleteIt just doesn't add up - it doesn't make sense what UCD are trying to do and how they are going about it and their real reasons for it.
ReplyDeleteWhy is everything so rushed, why after the students have paid? How can a teaching qualification have never had a level on the NFQ?
This issue needs more action, there are unanswered questions.
See http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056426870
Today in UCD we learned that the H-Dip was changed to PGDE because UCD was pushing to have the course recognised as a level 9 qualification. The NQAI never agreed to this and therefore never awarded the course a level 9 status. So, what did UCD do. They continued to call the course a PGDE for 6 years and increased the fees accordingly. Nice!
ReplyDelete