Understanding

The different countries within the UK show slight differences in their educational requirements for teachers of business subjects in secondary schools.

What they all share is the model of first earning an economic/business bachelor degree as prerequisite for a higher education teaching degree.

In England, Scotland and Wales this higher education teaching degree is called PGCE or PGDE (Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma in Education) and is offered for various subjects (e.g. PGCE Secondary Education 14-19 Applied Business, PGCE Secondary Business Studies, PGCE Business/Economic Education, Teacher Training-Secondary Business Education PGDE, PGCE-Secondary-Economics with Business). Hence teacher hopefuls get subject specific training both through their required bachelor degree and during their specialized teacher education.

Ireland is slightly different: the higher education teaching degree (e.g. Higher Diploma in Education H.Dip.Ed.) that can be acquired after an economic/business bachelor degree is unrelated to any specific subject but covers only general teaching competencies.

All the different teaching degrees qualify both for teaching in secondary schools and for pursuing an active role in school management.

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References

_{Irish Citizens Information Board (Irish eGovernment),}

_{URL: www.citizensinformation.ie [23.5.2013]}

_{UK Department for Education,}

_{URL: www.education.gov.uk [23.5.2013]}

_{The Guardian UK,}

_{URL: www.guardian.co.uk/education/teaching [23.5.2013]}