Cormac Devlin
Question:673. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is he is aware of a situation (details supplied). [21389/24]
View answerTuesday, 14 May 2024
Questions (673)
Written answers
My Department has been made aware that the college referred to by the Deputy will close and cease to deliver degree level programmes accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) with effect from September 2024.
In preparation for the forthcoming closure the college has engaged with QQI’s statutory Protection of Enrolled Learners (PEL) process. The PEL process ensures that learners can complete their programme with another QQI accredited provider if it is no longer offered by their existing provider.
QQI has informed my Department that all impacted learners, including those on the Bachelor of Education in Montessori Education programme, wishing to continue their studies will be facilitated to transfer into similar degree programmes offered by alternative providers leading to awards at the same level of the National Framework of Qualifications from September 2024. The alternative providers will provide all necessary supports to the learners as they make the transfer.
The college held a meeting on Tuesday 9 April 2024 to communicate further information about these transfer arrangements to the learners.
In addition, my Department has been advised that an alternative application process has also been made available to learners on an individual basis for those wishing to apply to a large public higher education provider offering a degree programme in Montessori Education. Further information about this alternative pathway was communicated to the learners at a meeting held on Tuesday 16th April 2024.
Meetings with learners on a one-to-one basis are still ongoing.