Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Clonsilla (Dublin) School.

Mr. Lawlor

I thank you for allowing me to bring this matter to the attention of the House. I have received correspondence from the two principals of St. Philip's national school, Clonsilla, which conveys the validity of the case. The correspondence is from Principal Brian Wall of the junior national school and Principal Michael Downes of the senior national school. It says: "Enclosed is a copy of a request from the above schools for a computer teacher to serve the needs of both schools. We would be more than pleased if you could make representations to the Department of Education on our behalf". The letter to the Department was written by Fr. Des Hogan and Fr. Tom Colreavy, chairpersons of the schools and reads as follows:

As you are no doubt aware, the above schools are situated in a Disadvantaged Area with all its attendant problems.

For the past number of years both schools have endeavoured, with great difficulty, to expose the children to the benefits of Computer Education.

We have begged and bought, restored and renovated, and to date we have three computers in the Senior School and six in the Junior School. We would now like to pool our resources within one classroom area (and we have one to spare) and roster the various classes for their computer period.

We have a teacher who is more than qualified to teach any recommended programme to the children of both schools.

What we are now asking [for] is an extra teacher, which in reality, works out at a half teacher for each school, to replace a "Computer" teacher if one were granted to us.

We feel that the children deserve this and it may place them on a more equal footing with children from other areas, whose parents can afford extra-curricular tuition, or whose schools — because of their location — are able to resource a teacher to do what we are striving to do.

We would appeal to the Department to look favourably on this request. Also, the Department must be aware that due to falling numbers, each of the two schools will lose a teacher to the Panel at the end of this academic year.

We are fortunate in Dublin 15 that previous Ministers, Taoisigh and Governments, including the present one, have succeeded in attracting some of the world's leading computer based industries to the area, including 3Com, IBM and Intel and Hewlett Packard in north Kildare. Tremendous job creation successes have been achieved in west Dublin and north Kildare. The computer is at the heart of that employment. A disadvantaged primary school in this area is looking for meagre assistance to ensure pupils get the opportunity to lay the foundations for a computer career recognising the success of job creation projects in Dublin 15. It is a reasonable request and I hope the Minister will respond positively. We are asking for a redeployment of resources and a recognition of the importance of a computer based education for primary school pupils.

We had a successful meeting with the Minister on the location of the regional technical college in June. She was impressed by the fact that we brought in employers from computer based industries in the greater Blanchardstown area and emphasised the potential for the regional technical college to offer technically based subjects. If the Department takes action at primary school level, it would be appreciated and it would be a positive step in educating primary school pupils in computer technology at this early stage.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Allen)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Primary education is founded on the belief that high quality education enables children to realise their potential as individuals and to live their lives to the fullest capacity as is appropriate to their particular stage of development. A good primary education gives children a firm basis for future participation in and progression through the education system.

The primary school curriculum is based on the following principles: the full and harmonious development of the child with due allowances made for individual differences; the central importance of activity and guided discovery learning and teaching methods; and teaching and learning through an integrated curriculum and through activities related to the child's environment.

These principles identify a child centred approach outlined in the 1971 review of the primary school curriculum which radically changed the philosophy and methodology of primary education from its previous emphasis on subject centred, didactic teaching. Primary education now emphasises the central position of the individual child and promotes a curriculum related to the child's needs and interests.

The child centred principles of the 1971 curriculum were endorsed in 1990 in reports by the Review Body of the Primary Curriculum and the Primary Education Review Body. The following year the Minister for Education invited the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to conduct a continuing review of the primary curriculum, while retaining the basis of the principles adopted in 1971.

The review is taking account of the rapid social, scientific and technological change which is taking place, and of Ireland's position in the European Union and the wider world. It is also aiming at a more precise statement of objectives where possible——

Mr. Lawlor

We are only looking for an extra teacher between the two schools.

Mr. Allen

——in terms of student behaviour and attainments. In addition, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will make recommendations on the time allocations necessary to achieve the stated objectives for each subject taught. This will be particularly important because of the need to balance a wide range of curricular objectives with the amount of school time available.

Scientific and technological developments have an enormous influence on our society, whether through their economic and social effects or through their impact on individual lifestyle. In a fast-changing world it is important that people are able to understand such innovations and to evaluate their implications.

Mr. Lawlor

Perhaps the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment, Deputy Rabbitte, should be dealing with this matter.

Mr. Allen

Apart from their wider effects, science and technology play an important role in the student's intellectual formation, complementing educational experiences in the arts and humanities.

The development of a new science programme will form an integral part of the review of the social and environmental programme now in preparation. This new programme will foster the development of scientific thought processes and approaches to problem solving, with an emphasis on critical and constructive thinking, which will have applications in other parts of the curriculum,

Until the review of the primary curriculum has been fully completed, and its contents assessed, the Deputy will no doubt appreciate that it would be inappropriate for the Minister for Education to assign additional staffing resources to the schools in Mountview for computer studies. I would, however, point out that in addition to the mainstream staffing of 24 teachers between St. Philip's junior and St. Philip's senior schools, the two schools have in total nine ex quota posts.