Vol. 403 No. 8
205 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education the reason the post-primary teachers' inservice course for the junior certificate programme, which was promised for the third term of the 1989-90 school year, did not take place.
It was never promised nor intended that a junior certificate inservice course would be held in the third term of the 1989-90 school year. Such courses would not normally be held in the final term of the school year.
206 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education the provision which will be made for teachers who teach more than one subject of the junior certificate programme and who could not attend the full complement of inservice courses during 1989-90 because of concentration on the course on one subject.
I presume that the question refers to the series of one day nationwide inservice courses on the junior certificate syllabuses. Three such courses have been held so far, the second of which was mainly to cater for teachers of two or more subjects where applicable.
The question of making further provision for such teachers will be considered at a later stage.
207 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education when the sample papers for the junior certificate examination in 1992 will be made available to schools.
The draft sample papers for the junior certificate will be available for inservice courses in January-February. It is proposed that sample papers will be available in schools at the commencement of the next school year.
208 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education the annual expenditure on the junior certificate programme.
Specific expenditures related to the introduction of the junior certificate programme mainly comprise inservice courses and the production and distribution of syllabuses and guidelines for teachers as well as resource grants to schools. In 1990 such expenditures will be of the order of £1.5 million.
These costs do not, of course, include ongoing costs such as teachers' salaries and other grants to schools related to students following the junior certificate programme.
