A task force on the physical sciences was set up at the end of 2000 and reported in March 2002. The task force had 44 members nominated by a wide range of educational and industrial interests.
The report identified six action areas: planning and resources; equity, teaching and learning; curriculum and assessment; promotion of science; and transition and integration into third level. The total costing of the proposals within the task force report amounted to €178 million for capital expenditure and €66 million for annual recurrent expenditure. The report was circulated for consultation in April with submissions on the report invited up to 1 September. Some 30 submissions were received.
A group within the Department is working on developing a strategy that will address the recommendations of the task force and its funding implications. As some of the issues involved in addressing what needs to be done are outside the remit of the Department of Education and Science, the group has identified the required involvement of other Departments, particularly in relation to the resource implications. I await the recommendations of this group before making firm proposals in relation to further improvements in the provision for science education.