Vol. 498 No. 1
378 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to introduce science as a core subject in the primary school curriculum; and if he will ensure that the environment becomes the core component of any new science programme in view of the widespread concern for the environment both locally and globally. [26605/98]
A revised primary school curriculum is being finalised under the aegis of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and will shortly be presented to me for ratification. The revised curriculum will contain a subject block to be known as "social, environmental and scientific education". This will comprise the three subject areas history, geography and science. While elementary science did form a component in the social and environmental studies programme for 5th and 6th classes in the 1971 curriculum, it was formally taught only in a small minority of schools. In the revised curriculum, science will hold equal standing with history and geography for all classes and will be given an appropriate weekly time allocation.
The new science programme will consist of four interlinked strands, namely living things, energy and forces, materials and environmental care. The strand on environmental care will embrace substrands on environmental awareness, dealing with the study of physical and human environments, including the positive and negative effects which human activities can have on ecosystems, and the study of local, national and global environmental issues.
