asked the Minister for Education if he will explain his plans to ensure that the school will mobilise every possible educative influence to help in the task of dealing with the total development and the total life of the student.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Student Development Principles.
25.
For the convenience of Deputies, I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate with the Official Report a statement made by the Minister on this matter.
Following is the statement:—
Statement of the Minister for Education to the Teachers' Union of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire on 17th April, 1974.
Because of the growing pressures on students for high grades and competitive success educational systems are becoming, increasingly, academic tread-mills. Increasingly, too, because of these pressures the school is losing contact with life outside and the student has little or no opportunity "to stand and stare", to discover the kind of person he is, the kind of society he will be living in and, in due course, contributing to, its shortcomings and its good points. The suggestion was made that perhaps somewhere in the middle of the course we might stop the tread-mill and release the students from the educational pressures for one year so that they could devote that time to personal development and community service.
The suggestion appeals to me and perhaps you will allow me to put before you some thoughts I have had as to how that year might be spent.
It would be the year immediately succeeding the intermediate certificate course, say between 15 and 16 years. Up to one-half of the school-week would be given over to community service in the religious lay apostolate, social, environmental or other fields. This would require skilful organisation but I am sure that the National Youth Council and its youth organisations and indeed other voluntary bodies would be able to give substantial help here. For the student this experience would be his initiation into society and would give him an insight into community needs and aspirations. One could hope that he would develop into a more mature and useful citizen because of this experience.
The other half of the school week would be devoted to the student's development and exploration of his own person. I should like to see about five hours devoted to studying the development of human thought, by way of an introduction to logic and philosophy. I would devote three hours of the week to religious belief and practice and three hours each to the appreciation of music and art and media criticism.
This year would be for everybody— for those about to leave full-time education as well as those continuing into senior cycle. But it seems to me that, though flexibility and diversity would be essential in regard to all the activities of the year, it would be eminently desirable that certificate recognition be given to the course if for no other reason than to maintain the student's interest. I would see therefore a school assessment on general performance with some form of written examination of the philosophy/logic syllabus and of religion, as appropriate. I would suggest a weighting of 60/40 as between school assessment and written examination, resulting in the award of a certificate of general education. I would expect that employers would look for this certificate from all young persons seeking employment.
I regard this proposal as being of such fundamental importance to the future education of our children that given a positive and favourable response I would be prepared to put proposals to my colleagues in Government as to financial and other incentives which might be offered to schools to undertake the course— managers, teachers, pupils. Such inservice training and re-training as might be necessary would be provided. If any school is interested in pioneering such a course I should like its authorities to accept this statement as an invitation to contact me on the matter.