Vol. 465 No. 3
42 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the concerns being expressed about the civic, social and political education course which is to be introduced into second-level schools. [6827/96]
79 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education the funding that has been provided for inservice training for teachers of the new course in civic, social and political education; the schools providing this course in 1996; the way in which standards will be monitored; and the reaction given by teachers to the introduction of this programme. [9629/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 79 together. The estimated cost of inservice training in 1996 for the new programme in question is £200,000 and provision has been made for this. Civic, social and political education will be monitored by the inspectorate in my Department and will be examined in the junior certificate by means of written examination and a report on an action project or coursework.
The teachers have welcomed the programme enthusiastically through the inservice provided during the pilot phase of the programme in 1993-96 and as a result of the distribution of resource books and exemplar materials by my Department to all schools. I am not aware of particular concerns expressed about the civic, social and political education course. The White Paper, Charting Our Education Future, has as an objective that all students, in accordance with their abilities and aptitudes will have achieved or experienced an understanding and appreciation of the central concepts of citizenship.
