Vol. 572 No. 2
124 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the recommendations of the review of the teaching of physical sciences; the recommendations which he has already implemented; and the costs already incurred compared to the cost of the full implementation of the recommendations. [22732/03]
There are some 39 recommendations in the report of the Task Force on the Physical Sciences, with costed proposals totalling €244 million extra, of which €66.3 million is a recurring annual cost. Funds are not available at present to progress the strategy on the scale recommended in the report. Of the 39 recommendations, four are not for the education sector. Of the remainder, partial progress has been made on 19 of the recommendations, work has been initiated on a further six, and no progress has been made on the remaining ten at this stage.
In particular, important progress has been made in regard to: curricular reform and inservice support, with new syllabi already implemented in leaving certificate biology and physics and chemistry, revised syllabi in primary science and junior certificate science beginning in schools in 2003-04 and work under way on a new leaving certificate physical sciences syllabus to replace the physics and chemistry combined syllabus (all of these developments are being or have been supported by national inservice programmes for teachers); resourcing, with substantial grants issued to schools at primary level in 1999, 2001 and 2002 at a cost of €10.376 million, an additional per capita grant for physics and chemistry at leaving certificate, a capital grants programme for senior cycle science ICT and science equipment, allied with the recent announcement of a once-off grant scheme, likely to cost of the order of €12 million to support the implementation of the new junior certificate science syllabus; ICT integration projects in teaching and learning under the schools IT initiative, and a new Scope initiative in partnership with RTE, NCCA and the National Centre for Technology in Education; provision of materials and publications to schools to promote the attractiveness and relevance of science for students as a subject option and career path; reviews on mathematics, grading of subjects in the leaving certificate, gender equity issues in science, and initial reports on teacher training undertaken; awareness measures supported by industry and third level colleges linking with schools; foundation, bridging and progression measures to promote access to third level education; quality assurance initiatives in third level, including the sciences; and the development of a national framework of qualifications by the National Qualifications Authority as an important step in developments to improve access, promote flexible assessment and accreditation processes, and enhance mobility across the further and higher education and training sectors.
Other than the amounts quoted above, it is not possible to isolate the costs of investment pertaining to the task force report from the overall funds issued for curriculum, inservice training, equipment and non-pay grants to schools. Nevertheless, the investment is substantial. For example, three days inservice was provided for all primary teachers to support the implementation of the primary science programme, supported by a national team of 24 trainers. Some 1700 second level biology teachers, 900 chemistry teachers and 1000 physics teachers received inservice for the leaving certificate revised syllabi, and a national programme is now being implemented for the revised junior certificate science syllabus.
This work continues to be progressed and enhanced as resources permit in collaboration and consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Forfás and industry. My Department is fully committed to strengthening the quality of science teaching and learning, promoting increased scientific literacy and encouraging more students to choose science subjects at senior cycle and progress to third level options in this critical area as a vitally important part of the national strategy to support competitiveness and employment.
