Unsupported and unrealistic expectations? Misalignment between teachers’ required knowledge of the law in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education

This research investigates the extent to which educational law features and is constructed in the Teaching Council's documentation for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes (2017, 2020) and in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers (Code) (2016), and analyses teachers’ required knowledge of the law across these documents. Document analysis was used to track changes and provide insights. The findings indicate that teachers’ knowledge of educational law has a low profile in the criteria used to review and accredit ITE programmes. Despite significant developments in law related to schools and teachers since 2017, including additional statutory requirements for child protection, the 2020 document does not have a commensurate increase in emphasis on law. Contrastingly, the findings indicate a high profile, and a high bar, for teachers’ knowledge of the law in the Code. Recommendations include that the Teaching Council analyse graduates’ legal knowledge during registration to ensure that they have the requisite skills to adequately perform as a professional; that the emphasis on educational law be increased in the ITE criteria so that it is aligned with the Code, and that programme providers fulfil their duty of care to students by providing them with adequate standalone modules on educational law.