ENNIS’ Mary Curley has been appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Teaching Council.
Former Doora NS principal, Mary Curley has taken up her new post as Deputy Chairperson of the Teaching Council with Eamon Dennehy a native of Castlemaine in Kerry and an engineering teacher at Heywood Community School, Ballinakill in Laois elected Chairperson.
A graduate of Mary Immaculate College, Mary began her teaching career in Sixmilebridge N.S. before becoming principal of Doora NS. She has been a member of the Teaching Council since 2020, and has served on the Investigation Committee, the Registration Committee, and the Registration Review Group.
Since retiring as principal of Doora NS, she has maintained her interest in education through her work as co-ordinator of the Gort area Small Schools Research Project, as secretary of CPSMA Munster Provincial and as chairperson of Sixmilebridge N.S.
From 1997 until 2005, Mary served as Director of the Ennis Cathedral Choir. She is currently Director of the Forever Young Singers.
There are 37 members of the Teaching Council including 22 members of the profession (primary and post-primary) who are directly elected by registered teachers, and others including nominees of the Higher Education Institutions, teacher unions, school management, National Parents Council, IBEC and ICTU, as well as Ministerial appointees.
As the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland, the Teaching Council’s role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. This is carried out through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession, whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct.