Vol. 495 No. 4
419 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the recent suggestion by the chief executive of NCCA that the junior certificate has lost much of its relevance; if he will respond to the concerns of the NCCA for disadvantaged students and early school dropouts at second level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20393/98]
The remarks attributed to the chief executive of the National Council for Assessment and Certification are based on a contribution made some months ago at a conference organised by the education commission of the Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) on the role of Assessment and Certification. Given that 82 per cent of the age cohort now follow a leaving certificate programme he stated that, for those who proceed to further education and training beyond the period of compulsory education, the award of the junior certificate has lost much of its meaning. Thus the junior certificate is no longer the terminal qualification for this cohort.
The NCCA is undertaking a review of the junior certificate. The junior certificate school programme has been developed as a curricular provision relevant to the needs of those disadvantaged pupils who are unable to meet the demands of the full junior certificate programme. The NCCA is reviewing the question of access to this programme from a wider range of schools to provide for disadvantaged pupils and also potential early school dropouts. A review of assessment procedures is also part of the current examination of the junior certificate by the NCCA. The variety of assessment procedures currently available in the leaving certificate applied are considered to be pertinent to how disadvantaged students might be catered for in a more meaningful way within the context of the junior certificate.
Taken alongside a one-school community liaison, expansion of traveller education, the 8-15 project for early school leavers and an expansion of Youthreach, in the context of increasing the compulsory school attendance to 16 years of age, the current work and review of the junior certificate by the NCCA is timely and appropriate.
