In an unprecedented move, more than 800 students from the teacher-training colleges marched yesterday to protest against the decision to approve a new online course.
The students say the 18-month graduate diploma course for primary teachers - run by Hibernia, a private college - is a "threat to the professionalism of teachers".
Responding to the protest last night, Hibernia for the first time published full details of the course and its teaching staff.
About 175 students have already enrolled for the €5,500 course which mixes online learning with tutorials and face-to-face teaching.
The Hibernia College course was approved by HETAC, the higher education and training group, in July, and subsequently recognised by the Department of Education.
Last night, Mr Jonathan Tiernan of the newly formed Alliance for Professionalism in Teaching (APT) expressed concern about "the lack of transparency" surrounding the process of establishing the Hibernia course. The APT, representing students of teacher education, marched yesterday to the Department of Education and to the INTO offices in Parnell Square, Dublin.
Mr Tiernan was critical of the INTO, who he accused of "sitting on the fence" despite a major threat to the professionalism of teaching.
But last night, the INTO rejected this, saying it would "never advocate a dilution in the quality or standards of teacher education. On the contrary, we clearly stated that the INTO would not countenance any attempt to the de-professionalise the teaching profession through the provision of inferior teacher education programmes."
The INTO said it has no objection in principle to the concept of online learning properly supported by high-quality tutorials, lectures, practice and classes.
The union said immediate talks should take place to explore possibilities for harnessing the new flexibility of e-learning with the undoubted expertise of the teacher-training colleges.
The APT said yesterday the Hibernia course "will destroy the quality of Irish education. The present full-time course is highly intensive, but a part-time stay-at-home approach cannot possibly equip people to teach the primary school curriculum."
To date, the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has steered clear of the controversy.
The Department says it simply recognised a course which was approved by HETAC, an independent body.
In a statement to The Irish Times, Mr Dempsey said his Department "will recognise the qualification from Hibernia so long as all of the conditions set by HETAC are met, including those relating to quality control".
Editorial comment: page 19
