Vol. 437 No. 6
43 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will guarantee that the core approach and syllabus of the existing senior certificate will be retained in the proposed new Leaving Certificate courses and examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
89 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Education if she will guarantee that the core approach and syllabus of the existing senior certificate will be retained in the proposed new Leaving Certificate courses and examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
104 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will guarantee that the core approach and syllabus of the existing senior certificate will be retained in the proposed new Leaving Certificate courses and examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
118 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Education if she will guarantee that the core approach and syllabus of the existing senior certificate will be retained in the proposed new Leaving Certificate courses and examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 89, 104, 118 together.
A leaving certificate applied programme will be available from September 1995. This will be a self-contained two year programme replacing and expanding on the existing senior certificate and vocational preparation and training programme 1 (VPT1). The programme is presently being prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and will be submitted to me by June 1994. I am very anxious that the core approach and philosophy of the existing senior certificate will be retained in the leaving certificate applied programme and I expect this to be reflected in the syllabus proposals from the NCCA.
47 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education if she will exhort local authorities to publish the names and addresses of successful applicants for higher education grants and ESF grants.
All details relating to individual applications for Higher Education Grants and ESF Grants are a confidential matter between the applicants, Local Authorities-Vocational Education Committees, the Department of Education and other relevant public service agencies.
Therefore the names and addresses of successful applicants for such grants may not be published. The publication of such details, apart from being contrary to long standing administrative practice, would contravene the provisions of the Data Protection Act, 1988.
Calls to publish lists of successful applicants are made, I believe, because there is a lack of confidence in the fairness of the grants procedure. With this in mind the recent committee established by me and my Department to examine the third level grants (includes Higher Education Grants, Vocational Educational Scholarships and ESF grants) had as part of their terms of reference
to recommend appropriate criteria for assessment of eligibility on grounds of means, with reference to equity and the financial capacity of parents and applicants. In so doing the group would examine the application of the criteria for assessment of eligibility on grounds of means in the existing third level student support schemes.
