Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2005
76 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science her plans for a revamp of the junior certificate examination, particularly in terms of oral and aural examinations; if the report prepared for her Department on this matter will be published and when; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2999/05]
View answerThe National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, expressed concern in its 1999 report on its review of the junior cycle that the curriculum was overloaded and that there was repetition of topics in some subjects. In response, it set out to review the content of junior cycle syllabuses with the aim of re-balancing the curriculum so as to ensure that there was enough time to allow for the quality of engagement with students that was envisaged when the junior certificate was introduced in 1989 for first examination in 1992.
Phase 1 of this re-balancing work is now almost complete. This involved a review of five subject areas, namely, business studies, English, history, home economics and music. Phase 2 is about to begin and this will involve Gaeilge; geography; art, craft and design; environmental and social studies; and mathematics. The outcomes of this work will be communicated to teachers, parents and others interested in education by means of a handbook which will contain the full curriculum. It is planned that the first issue of this handbook, which will contain the re-balanced syllabuses in the ten subjects, will be ready in January 2006.
The inspectorate has carried out an evaluation of the junior certificate school programme, JCSP, and its report will be available in June 2005. Simultaneously, the NCCA has conducted a review and its report is in final stages of preparation. The outcomes of these processes will inform future developments of the programme. The inspectorate is currently carrying out a focused evaluation of the teaching and learning of Gaeilge in the junior cycle and a report will be published on the cumulative outcomes towards the end of the current year.
The outcomes of the NCCA's review of languages in the post-primary curriculum is likely to have implications for junior cycle curriculum. This work will be complemented by an analysis which the Council of Europe will be conducting this year at the request of the Department of Education and Science of language policy and practice in Ireland.
