30 additional Primary Teaching places to be made available in Mary Immaculate College

The Department of Education’s decision to allocate more places across Ireland’s primary teaching programmes means that a career in primary teaching will become much more accessible and attainable than ever before. The planned increase in primary teacher training places across the sector is being introduced in an effort to address the current nationwide classroom staffing shortage and increasing enrolment figures being experienced in our primary schools.

In Mary Immaculate College, the 30 additional places will bring to 435, the number of students across their much-in-demand Bachelor of Education programmes from September 2023. It is hoped that the move will also see a drop in the CAO points required for entry.

Speaking on the announcement President of MIC, Professor Eugene Wall said; "MIC welcomes the provision of additional places and the consequent effect these increased places will have on CAO points for primary teaching programmes across the sector. Due to the continuing popularity of our B Ed programmes we have witnessed a year-on-year steep increase in the required CAO points for our B Ed programmes, which has most certainly dissuaded potentially excellent student teachers from applying." 

According to Dr Patrick Cosgrove, Student Recruitment Officer at MIC, "The increase of places available this September will more than likely result in a decrease in CAO points, making our B Ed programmes more accessible to more students than ever before. With that in mind, I would strongly encourage any student who has dreamt of becoming a primary teacher, but may have felt intimated due to the spiralling increase in CAO points, to avail of this opportunity and place the B Ed as their number one CAO choice when the Change of Mind facility opens up in May."

MIC’s Level 8 Bachelor of Education programmes are four years in duration, comprised of on-campus study and school placement. They are designed to qualify students to teach in primary schools and are accredited by the Teaching Council.

The doubling of places on MIC’s Primary Teaching PME from 60 to 120 has also been sanctioned.