St Angela’s College at Clogherevagh outside Sligo faces the transfer
of its long-established home economics teacher training function to NUI
Galway. And St Patrick’s College in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, which is a former seminary but reinvented itself as a niche third level institution, may have to cease offering courses in training people to teach Business, Accounting and Religious Education and Irish and Religious Studies.
The threats to the two colleges follow recommendations by an international panel commissioned by Minister Quinn that the number of teacher training centres around the country should be reduced from nineteen to six.
St. Angela's College indicated it would resist moves to strip it of its teacher-training role, and in a statement said it would be preferable to continue the delivery of its B.Ed. Home Economics Degree Programme on its campus.
"The rationale for this is based on the college's 60 years of established excellent academic expertise in this specialist discipline along with recently refurbished state of the art specialist facilities," the college argued.
In recent years, about €11m has been spent on making St. Angela's a first-rate training centre and the college said that its high reputation had led it to be selected to host the international conference for the Home Economics Federation two years ago.
“Since St. Angela's became the sole provider of home economics teacher education in Ireland in 2003, coupled with the Department of Health's approval of a new School of Nursing and Health Studies, there has been a dramatic increase in student numbers,” the college pointed out.
Apart from the teacher training courses for which it is best known, the college, which has currently 950 students, also offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in nursing and health studies, education, special needs education, theology, food and consumer studies, science, Irish, economics and social studies and some Access, adult education and professional development programmes.
Supporting the case of the college, the President of Sligo Chamber of Commerce, Linda Moffitt pointed out that with increased student numbers and a staff of 150, the contribution of St. Angela's to the region was estimated to be in the region of €8m to €10m.
In addition, she added, St. Angela's was the only NUI campus north of the line from Galway to Dublin.
Fianna Fail senator Marc MacSharry said the closure of the teacher-training unit would, “further marginalise the north-west at a time when the region has already been forced to bear more than its fair share of cuts to local services."
And TUI General Secretary John MacGabhann warned there would be, “very significant cost implications in transferring expertise and facilities to Galway, as well as negative implications for the Sligo economy."
Meanwhile, in Thurles, the president of St Patrick’s College, Fr. Tom Fogarty, said that the college was fully committed to ensuring that all students will continue their studies in St. Patrick’s College.
The college, which has just registered 79 new student teachers, has a record intake this year, he said and now had 265 five full-time students and was the only provider of university level education in the region.
“As such the College plays a central role in the economic sustainability of both Thurles and North Tipperary. St. Patrick’s College is very proud of its tradition as a provider of third level education in Tipperary, spanning 175 years. The Board of Governors will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the continuance of teacher education in St. Patrick’s College.”
Local independent TD Michael Lowry said the expert report recommended the creation of six centres of excellence.
Minister Quinn has now asked the Higher Education Authority to submit a detailed report on how to implement the recommendations of the review group and is then to report back to Cabinet with formal proposals.