Do I need a Certificate in Religious Education to teach in all Catholic Nursery or Primary schools in Northern Ireland?
Teachers can only be appointed to a Catholic Maintained nursery or primary school if they hold a recognised Certificate in Religious Education.
Do I need a Certificate in Religious Education to teach in Catholic Maintained Secondary Schools?
A Certificate is not required for posts in Catholic Maintained secondary schools.
Where can I get a certificate from?
You will need to undertake a religious certificate course in order to get a certificate. There are various courses available and are indicated below:
NORTHERN IRELAND
St Mary's College of Education
Falls Road Campus, 191 Falls Road
BELFAST,
BT12 6FE
Tel: (028) 9032 7678
University of Ulster
Coleraine Campus
Cromore Road,
COLERAINE
University of Ulster
Jordanstown Campus,
Shore Road
NEWTOWNABBEY
Are there correspondence courses available?
There are three correspondence courses recognised by the Catholic Church Authorities:
1. Certificate in Religious Education by Distance Learning (CREDL)
University of Glasgow
Faculty of Education
Gillis Base 113 Whitehouse Loan
Edinburgh
EH9 1BB
Tel: Jennifer Myles at (0131) 447 8640
Email: jmyles@educ.gla.ac.uk
2. Life-light Home Study Courses
Windward
Vicarage Road
Napton-on-the-Hill
Warwickshire
CV47 8NA
Tel & Fax: Chris Harris at 01926 810798
Email: lifelight@btinternet.com
3. Iona Retreat Centre
Termonbacca
Derry
BT48 9XE
Northern Ireland
Tel: Fr Paul Farren (028) 7126 2512
Fax: (028) 7137 3598
How much do these courses cost?
Each course is between £300 and £500 and is entirely self-funded.
How long do they take?
Courses normally take between 12 and 18 months
Do I need to complete the course before taking up a teaching appointment?
The course must be completed before taking up appointment. Whilst it is permissable to apply for positions whilst studying for the certificate, you are required to have the certificate upon taking up appointment.
How do I know that the Certificate in Religious Education that I have obtained is recognised by CCMS?
To find a comprehensive list of all the Catholic colleges in higher education which award the Certificate in Religious Education recognised by church authorities, please click here.