Portobello Institute MA graduates unable to register with Teaching Council

A graduate of the Portobello Institute’s MA in Inclusive Education has been left unable to register with the Teaching Council, despite spending €6,000 on the two‑year programme.

The student, who asked not to be named, completed the online MA while working as a special needs assistant in a primary school autism class. She expected the qualification to open “route 4” registration for teaching, as indicated in correspondence from the institute in September 2023.

Since graduating in 2025, the graduate has been told the Teaching Council does not recognise the college’s qualification. She raised the issue with Portobello Institute during her studies and after graduation, and also sought assistance through parliamentary questions raised by her local TD to former Minister for Education Helen McEntee.

The case mirrors a wider problem highlighted by the Irish Examiner, where students who completed a diploma in physical education at Portobello between 2022 and 2025 also failed to meet the Council’s registration requirements. Although the exact number of affected students has not been disclosed, the Irish Examiner estimates it is in the double digits.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has initiated a review of the institute’s website to improve the clarity and accuracy of information about its programmes, following a “shared concern” with the Teaching Council that the graduate diploma in PE was misleading.

At present, the Teaching Council only accredits initial teacher‑education routes such as four‑year undergraduate courses, professional master’s programmes, and similar qualifications offered by established colleges and universities, including Mary Immaculate College, various universities and Hibernia College.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Marko Obrvan / Pexels.