If you completed a period of induction outside of the Republic of Ireland
If you completed a formal state recognised induction process in another country, you must apply to the Teaching Council for the assessment of that process to check if it is recognised in the Republic of Ireland.
Overseas Induction Assessment Criteria
If you have completed a formal induction process in another country, you are required to apply to the Teaching Council for the assessment of that process to determine eligibility for recognition in the Republic of Ireland.
The Induction process must meet the following criteria to be considered for assessment:
- Must be completed after qualifying as a teacher
- Must be a minimum of one year induration
- Must be certified by the competent authority, e.g., Ministry of Education/Teaching Council in the country in which the induction process was completed
- A mentoring/support structure must be included in the induction process
- The process must be formalised internally at school level and validated externally at state/country level
- A Primary teacher must teach a nationally recognised curriculum to the age range 4- to 12-year-olds
- A Post-primary teacher must teach a nationally recognised curricular subject(s) to the age range 12- to 18-year-olds
The following evidence must be submitted with your letter of application:
- An overview of the formal Induction process published by the competent authority and verified by the school/authority as being the process completed
- Submission of internal and external reports/outcomes/results/observations
- In respect of primary teachers – the dates and duration of the induction process, specifying the number of school days completed and the class setting in which it took place – this must be certified by the school / competent authority
- In respect of post-primary teachers – the dates and duration of the induction process, specifying the number of hours of teaching a post primary curricular subject(s) in a postprimary school and the class setting in which it took place – this must be certified by the school/competent authority
If you have any further queries on the above criteria, please contact the Conditions Team by email conditions@teachingcouncil.ie or forward your correspondence to The Conditions Team, Block A, Maynooth Business Campus, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, W23 Y7X0, Ireland.
There are certain standards your induction must meet before the Teaching Council can add you fully to the register. It must be of the same standard as the Irish induction process, Droichead
The induction programme must:
- Be state recognised
- Based on policy and process documentation detailing the induction programme
This documentation should:
- Be published by either:
- The Ministry of Education or
- A recognised Competent Authority (the equivalent of the Teaching Council )
- Clearly set out the requirements of the induction process for all teachers in the country (The process must be the same for all teachers).
The induction process must be validated at state level.(A school completing their own internal induction process does not suffice.)
If you qualified in the Republic of Ireland and are planning on working in the UAE, England or other country
Droichead is an integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in Ireland. As Droichead is based on teaching the Irish State curriculum, within recognised schools, it is not possible to complete Droichead outside Ireland.
If you qualified as a teacher in the Republic of Ireland and are considering teaching in either the UAE or England before completing Droichead, please note it may not be possible to complete an equivalent induction programme in these countries. Please read the relevant sections below.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) do not have a state recognised induction programme, so it is not possible to complete a process similar to Droichead while working there.
Some schools complete their own internal induction processes. However, this will not suffice, as you must complete an induction process that is recognised and validated at state level.
This means if you return to the Republic of Ireland to work, you will have to complete Droichead.
England
In September 2021, the Department of Education (DfE) in England introduced a new statutory model of induction called the Early Career Framework (ECF). The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) is the government agency responsible for overseeing and verifying the induction of teachers in England.
To be eligible to access and complete this new induction programme, you must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This means that you must have completed your teacher training programme in the England.
Whilst Irish graduates would not hold QTS it may be possible for them to apply for QTS and complete the ECF induction programme. For further information please check with the Department of Education in England.
Certified evidence from the TRA confirming completion of the ECF induction programme in England, is acceptable instead of completing Droichead.
If you do not complete the ECF Induction programme in England and return to Ireland, you will be required to complete Droichead.
For the rest of world
If you intend to complete an induction programme in another country, other than the UAE or England, we recommend that you check that the programme is acceptable.
For other countries, please:
- Send an email to conditions@teachingcouncil.ie
- Include a link to or copy of the policy and process documentation published by the Ministry of Education or Competent Authority of that country.
The documentation should detail the induction programme in the country in which you intend to work.
We will then advise you.