Graduates of diploma course in physical education unable to register with Teaching Council
Recent graduates of a private physical education diploma course at Portobello Institute are unable to register with the Irish Teaching Council. The council and QQI have confirmed the course lacks necessary accreditation, leaving graduates unable to work as teachers.
Why it matters
This highlights a significant consumer protection issue in private education where students pay high fees for qualifications that do not meet professional regulatory standards.
In order to work as a teacher in Ireland, one must be registered with the Teaching Council. File picture: Collins
Recent graduates of a diploma course in physical education, available through a private college and costing thousands in course fees, have been left unable to register with the Teaching Council.
The minister for education has confirmed most applicants who completed the diploma in question from Portobello Institute between 2022 and 2025 have not met the Teaching Council's requirements.
In order to work as a teacher in Ireland, one must be registered with the Teaching Council.
Some applicants have now also completed additional modules, intended to address shortfalls identified by the Teaching Council, Hildegarde Naughton said in a recent parliamentary question.
"For the applicants assessed to date, the completion of these additional modules has not resulted in them meeting the registration requirements.
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