Dr Pauric Travers, president of St Patrick's College of Education in Drumcondra, Dublin, said that Irish primary teachers do not train for long enough. A 4-year (rather than a 3-year) bachelor degree programme in education would lead to better quality teachers and would benefit future pupils, he said.

Dr Travers was addressing the annual graduation ceremony in the college. 

He pointed out that research had repeatedly shown that teacher training was key to pupil achievement.

"Enhancement of the quality of teacher education and ensuring a good supply of good quality teachers is a priority policy imperative," he added.

He noted that initial teacher education in Finland (lauded for its education outcomes) lasts for five years. He also recalled the Kelleghan report on teacher education for the 21st century, published in 2002, which proposed extending the BEd degree to four years, and the post-graduate programme from 18 months to two years.

"While the shortage of teachers in recent years made the implementation of this proposal difficult, the current crisis provides an opportunity to increase the duration of programmes in a cost-effective manner," he said.

Much of the additional training year would be spent in schools, he said, which would ease graduate unemployment.
 
He said that, for the first time in a decade, there were not enough jobs for qualified teachers, and he lamented the absence of a systematic mechanism for ensuring and regulating teacher supply, which was "a glaring deficiency".

This year’s graduation ceremony at St Patrick's Drumcondra saw Kilkenny hurling heroes James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick and Richie Hogan qualifying as primary teachers and also saw the first graduates from a new doctorate in education (EdD). (Source: Irish Independent)