Landmark launch of Aitheantas marks a historic milestone in Irish primary education

Today’s launch of Aitheantas, a pioneering new framework for initial teacher education represents a significant development in the history of the State’s education system. Launching the framework, Dr Barbara O’Toole described it as “a truly landmark moment in Irish education”. For the first time, there is a formal framework to support the preparation of student teachers to teach ethical, multi-belief and values education in Educate Together and ETB-managed Community National Schools.

Led by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) and Educate Together in collaboration with the five initial teacher education providers, Aitheantas is widely recognised as a landmark step forward. Dr Marie Flynn, Head of School, noted that the framework will ensure student teachers are “equally prepared and supported to teach the patrons’ programmes in all school types without privileging one model over another”. She also highlighted the important contribution of Human Development colleagues in advancing provision for multi-denominational and equality-based schools.

Dr Jones Irwin has played a key role in this area for over 20 years. His early work dates back to when St Patrick’s College (now DCU Institute of Education) became the first College of Initial Teacher Education in Ireland to offer a recognised postgraduate course dedicated to Ethical and Multi-denominational Education in 2012. Alongside colleagues from the wider faculty including Dr Regina Murphy and now retired Dr Philomena Donnelly, he led the Professional Diploma in Ethical & Multidenominational Education.

This work was further expanded in 2013 when St Patrick’s College embedded ethical, multi-belief and values education within modules across the BEd and PMEP programmes. Led by Dr Anne Marie Kavanagh and Dr Niamh McGuirk, these modules continue to prepare DCU student teachers to create inclusive, respectful and critically engaged learning environments where children explore identity, belief systems, ethics and values in an open and age-appropriate way. Dr Kavanagh also served as DCU’s representative on the Advisory Committee that informed the development of Aitheantas. Speaking at the launch, she observed that “denominational patrons have long-standing expertise in articulating and supporting their ethos through denominational religious education. Aitheantas extends this level of professional preparation to a more diverse educational landscape”.

Reflecting on broader societal changes, Dr Kavanagh pointed to findings from the recent Primary School Survey (Department of Education and Youth, 2026), which indicate growing parental demand for greater diversity in school types and patronage models. As families increasingly seek schools that reflect a wide range of beliefs, identities and worldviews, she emphasised the need to "respond to that demand by ensuring that student teachers are fully-prepared to work within those different contexts.” Aitheantas, she said, “not only supports student teachers to teach the ethical and values programmes of their school patron in reflective, responsive and inclusive ways, but also strengthens parental choice and confidence in the education system.”

From 2032, meeting the requirements of the Aitheantas framework will become a formal requirement for newly qualified teachers seeking to teach in Educate Together and Community National Schools.