Education - Inclusive Education Learning Support & Special Education

In 2024-2025, the course will be offered in a blended approach, with a mix of online and on campus days in St Patricks College, DCU, totalling eight weeks of block release from school. Full substitution is provided by the DE.

This programme has been offered by the Institute of Education, DCU since September 2016. It combines two well-established graduate diploma courses that were offered previously at St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra and the Church of Ireland College of Education, Rathmines.

The programme is open to primary and post-primary teachers who are employed in a position that is funded by the Department of Education and who provide Special Education Teaching in recognised primary schools, post-primary schools, and in other recognised educational services. Teachers serving in special schools and special classes are also eligible to apply.

The programme provides a qualification that is recognised by the Department of Education for teachers working in the areas of inclusive education, special education and learning support who work in the following roles: Special Education Teacher, Teacher in a Special School, Teacher in a Special Class.

Funding for the course is provided by the DE. This means that for teachers who are eligible:

No fees or registration charges will apply to participants.
They will continue to receive their salary in the usual way during their participation.
Substitution will be provided by the DE to the schools in which they work, to cover their attendance at lectures and seminars during school hours.
There are no formal written examinations involved in the course. Participants will be assessed on the basis of full attendance at the programme venue, engagement with course content and activities, successful completion of selected tasks and written assignments and supervision of work in schools/centres, including final evaluation of this.

Participants who successfully complete the course, and who meet the relevant entry requirements, will be eligible to seek admission to the Masters in Special Educational Needs (MSEN) programme run at the School of Inclusive and Special Education. Credit for completion of the postgraduate diploma will be given to those who progress to the MSEN programme.

This is a one-year, part-time postgraduate diploma programme that aims to provide substantial theoretical and practical continuing professional development to teachers who work with learners deemed to have special educational needs and/or who require learning support in primary, post-primary and special schools and other recognised educational settings.

This course is offered in a blended format, with on campus learning in DCU, St Patrick's Campus, Drumcondra, combined with some online learning days. Please note, on campus learning days are not offered in a hybrid format, therefore in person attendance is required. This involves attending lectures, seminars and workshops during eight weeks of block-release that is spread out over the course of one academic year. It also includes on-line learning, and attendance at a maximum of ten on-line evening classes during the year and supervised work in teachers’ own schools/centres. Learning also occurs during visits by course tutors to schools, in dedicated on-line sessions and through engagement with resources made available on DCU learning platforms. In order to participate in the programme, teachers will need access to a computer and broadband internet access.

Indicative Modules

Principles and concepts of inclusive and special education
Identity, holistic profiling and responses
Planning, teaching and learning for all 1
Planning, teaching and learning for all 2
Collaboration and leadership
Elective modules
The course will begin with a joint session for Principals & Participants in early September.

Thereafter participants are required to attend three blocks of lectures (in their entirety). DE-funded substitution is available to the schools/centres of all those who are offered a place on the programme to allow this to occur.

Indicative Course Dates

Please note these dates may be subject to change at the discretion of the University - full details of dates will be provided to successful candidates

Block release 1 - 9th Sept - 18th Oct 2024
Block release 2 - 13th - 17th Jan 2025
Block release 3 - 3rd - 7th March 2025

Lectures are normally held continuously from 9.00am to 3.45pm daily

Please review the Department of Education Circular for 2024 at https://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/inline-files/gdise-circular-2024-english.pdf in English and at https://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/inline-files/gdise-circular-2024-irish.pdf in Irish.

The programme is open to primary and post-primary teachers who are employed in a position that is funded by the Department of Education and who provide Special Education Teaching in recognised primary schools, post-primary schools, and in other recognised educational services. Teachers serving in special schools and special classes are also eligible to apply. The programme provides a qualification that is recognised by the Department of Education for teachers working in the areas of inclusive education, special education and learning support who work in the following roles: Special Education Teacher, Teacher in a Special School, Teacher in a Special Class. Teachers must meet the criteria set out in the relevant DE Circular.

Applications will open on Thursday, 14th March 2024.

All Applicants must apply through DCU's Student Application Portal which is available here. Here's a quick step by step guide if you need help with your application.

Applicants must provide the following:

Additional Questions Form - submitted within the Application Portal
An up-to-date Teaching Council Registration Certificate - upload to the portal
A Principal Declaration Form - This form must be signed by the Principal (not the Deputy Principal or any other school representative) - submitted within the Application Portal
*Please note that only teachers who have been fully probated (completed induction) are eligible to apply for this course

Registry issue first round offers after the closing date has passed. Throughout the summer, Registry continue to make additional offers. It is the applicant's responsibility to monitor their email (checking junk/spam/promotions folder) and accept their place within the deadlines provided.

Queries
Closing Date: 22nd April 2024

Queries on applications may be emailed to pgedapplications@dcu.ie. Please include the programme code (DC983) in the subject line of your email.

1 year part-time.