[heather mc]

Hi
I have completed the montessori diploma with portobello (fetac) and want to go on to do up to age 12.
As it stands i cannot teach in a montessori primary school with portobello dip (even just the younger classes) as it isnt recognised by the dept of ed.
Portobello are starting a degree course in montessori up to age 12 which be hetac acredited, does this automatically mean that it will be recognised by the dept of ed for teaching in a montessori primary school? Portobello wont give me a direct answer which leads me to believe id me better off going to st nicolas.
any advice would be much appreciated. I prefare to go ahead with portobello when the course starts as i will finish in shorter amount of time and will be less traveling but i dont want to be wasting my time (again) doing a course which is pretty worthless.
Oh ive also contaced hetac themselves and they said portobello had no right saying that their course would be hetac acredited before the course started.

[Minitonka]

Well, if HETAC said that, I would be a bit wary until it is all sorted, if I were you. Apart from St.Nicholas Montessori College's degree in Montessori Education, there is also the AMI Montessori Diploma (3 years full-time) which is another teaching qualification which is recognised by the Department of Education and Science for teaching in Special Primary Schools. Their courses is eligible for the Higher Education grant scheme if you are eligible. See www.montessoriami.ie.