Scottish Catholic Observer

The St Andrew’s Foundation for Catholic Teacher Education at the University of Glasgow has sole responsibility for educating Catholic teachers in Scotland.

In 2016, the university began offering its Catholic Teacher’s Certificate in Religious Education at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Strathclyde, and soon added Aberdeen University to its list.

Beginning from August, the course will now be offered at the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Dundee.

The programme is supported by funds from the Scottish Government, with First Minster Nicola Sturgeon announcing last year that an additional £127,000 would be invested in the Catholic teacher Education Programme.

The programme is part of range of measures aimed at boosting Catholic education in Scotland and run by the St Andrew’s Foundation.

On Monday, Turnbull Hall, the University of Glasgow’s Catholic chaplaincy, hosted a Mass (above) in celebration of those achieving the Catholic Teacher’s Certificate by two additional routes offered by the St Andrew’s Foundation.

67 people completed the Setting Out on the Road course, while 115 completed the distance-learning CREDL course which attracts Catholic teachers from as far away as Norway and Malta.

The Mass also celebrated five new parish catechists for Glasgow Archdiocese who were being awarded the Certificate in Catholic Theological Education.

Dr Roisín Coll, Director of the St Andrew’s Foundation, said this was ‘an incredible year’ for the Foundation since it had produced a record number of teachers qualified to teach Religious Education in Catholic schools.

– If you are interested in finding out more about the Catholic Teacher’s Certificate email [email protected]