Robbie Meredith<\/span>Education and arts correspondent, BBC News NI<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Students in Northern Ireland set to teach in Irish language schools and maths, science or technology subjects are to have their tuition fees paid.<\/p>\n Some will also receive \u00a31,000 a month towards their living costs while they study.<\/p>\n It is hoped the move will address a shortage of teachers in maths, chemistry, physics, technology, computing and design and Irish medium education.<\/p>\n “It’s a shame we don’t have it sooner, but I’m glad that it is happening,” said Eimhear O’Neill who is studying for a PGCE in Irish medium education at St Mary’s University College Belfast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n All students who receive the bursaries are expected to teach in schools in Northern Ireland for at least two years after graduating, according to the Department of Education (DE).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The bursaries were announced by Education Minister Paul Givan.<\/p>\n It is the first time such a scheme has been introduced in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n Students taking a four-year undergraduate education degree in maths, and technology and design, will have their tuition fees paid for the duration of their course – about \u00a35,000 a year or \u00a320,000 in total.<\/p>\n Those taking a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Irish medium education, maths, chemistry, physics, information technology or technology and design will have their fees paid and also receive a one year bursary of \u00a312,000 towards living costs – funding of more than \u00a317,000 for their year of study.<\/p>\n Students take a PGCE to enable them to teach after they complete their undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n The payments are due to take effect in September 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some schools in Northern Ireland have reported difficulty in recruiting maths, science or technology teachers.<\/p>\n The education minister said the bursaries aimed to tackle teacher shortages in critical subjects.<\/p>\n Givan also said it represented a “strategic investment in our education system and economy” and would safeguard science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Givan told BBC News NI when he spoke to school principals they said they indicated a real challenge in trying to recruit specialist teachers in the subjects that we are now supporting” and it is difficult to recruit and “retain teachers” in these subjects.<\/p>\n He added in the private sector teachers can “earn significantly higher in terms of their potential earnings”.<\/p>\n “That’s why we have been seeking to address teachers’ pay,” he said.<\/p>\n The education minister added that providing the bursary should make the subjects “attractive” and try to “incentivise young people” into them.<\/p>\n “When you don’t have the teacher who specialises in the subject then you are not going to get the same quality of teaching that we need,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/ccdb\/live\/34cf3930-988a-11f0-b4a0-5750cf22ef76.jpg.webp\")
BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nRecruitment<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20250905-110137-f27f908f49-web-2.29.1-3\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/cca7\/live\/d8e36c60-9864-11f0-9fad-d35dd71c4be3.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"PA](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9625\/live\/79d61170-9885-11f0-b146-278281693603.jpg.webp\")
PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n‘Really important’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n