[Alfie]

Hello! I completed my schooling four years back and after that I joined my father’s business, but now after four years I want to go back to school while I work simultaneously on my father’s business. I’m interested in education degrees. Does anyone know about any legit distance learning education programs through which I can complete my education?

[Miriam]

Hi Alfie. You would want to be very sure of whatever degree you intend doing if you want it to recognised for teaching in Ireland. You can do the BA with Oscail (www.oscail.ie) and can teach English and CSPE if you have the right subjects. You could also do their BSc in Information Technology for teaching Computer Studies.Some of the Open University (www.open.ac.uk) degrees would also be accepted but you would need to check with the Teaching Council (www.teachingcouncil.ie) before you start. Most teaching qualifications would take at least four years to complete and there is no difference in pay where the different subjects are concerned. It would depend on how long you are teaching, what extra postgraduate qualifications you may have and the level of your primary degree. For information on teachers' salaries in Ireland, go to www.asti.ie and www.tui.ie. If you want become a Primary Teacher you would have to meet the minimum entry requirements for the BEd degree if you are a mature student (over 23 by 1st Jan of year of entry) which would include having got C3 in higher Irish in your Leaving Certficate, OC3 in English and OD3 in Maths. The BEd is not available online except as a conversion course if you had an honours degree in something and also met the entry requirements mentioned above. There is also a business degree which you can take by Distance Learning with UCD. See www.ucd.ie. It would not be advisable to undertake any degree from other outside universities unless you got it checked with the Teaching Council first, if you intend using it in Ireland. If you want to teach in any other country, you should check with the Department of Education in the country concerned. Miriam