Vol. 500 No. 2
65 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Education and Science the timetable for the introduction of the revised curriculum in primary schools; if curriculum handbooks are to be printed abroad; the programme of teacher inservice education to be put in place in the current and next school years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3707/99]
As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment – NCCA – has been engaged for some time on the task of drawing up a revised primary curriculum. The work of the NCCA in this regard is nearing completion and I expect to receive the draft revised curriculum in the near future.
The revised curriculum marks a very significant development in the history of primary education and is the culmination of work which has also involved the partners in education. The introduction of the curriculum into primary schools will be a major undertaking which requires careful and detailed planning. To this end my Department has established a primary curriculum implementation group and a technical working group to advance planning. Tenders for printing will be sought in accordance with EU requirements and an in-service programme will be put in place. The in-service programme will commence during the coming school year.
66 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to introduce road safety to the second level curriculum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3672/99]
Second level schools are free to address the issue of road safety as part of the programme in civic, social and political education. This subject is part of the junior certificate core curriculum for second-level schools. It is a course in citizenship based on human rights and social responsibilities. The syllabus specifies a number of concepts which must be addressed, but schools have a good deal of flexibility with regard to how this is done. A number of these concepts can accommodate the study of issues relating to road safety, for example: rights and responsibilities and law.
