Dan Boyle
Question:144 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Education and Science if any reviews have been carried out of transition year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32727/05]
View answerTuesday, 8 November 2005
Questions (58)
Written answers
The transition year programme is a one-year optional programme, taken by some 24,000 students annually, which provides a bridge between junior and senior cycle. Its aim is to promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of students and prepare them for their role as participative and responsible members of society.
The curriculum for the transition year is devised by the individual school, having regard to the guidelines issued by my Department which set the broad parameters within which transition year programmes should operate. The guidelines allow individual schools scope to create a programme of learning experiences that matches the needs of their particular student cohort and that takes account of the resources and opportunities available in the schools and their local community.
An evaluation of the transition year programme in 146 schools was carried out by the inspectorate of my Department in 1996 and the findings were largely positive. My Department has followed through on the recommendations issued to schools during this evaluation in a variety of ways, for example, the transition year curriculum support service has intensified its support in areas identified as needing improvement, and circular letter M1/00 was issued to clarify requirements for schools implementing the transition year programme. Schools were also provided with additional guidelines on writing their transition year programme.
More recently, the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, conducted a study of the transition year programme in schools. This study was funded by my Department and the report was published in January 2005. Based on data gathered from 468 principals, 4,444 students in 108 schools and six case studies, this study provides a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the operation of transition year and of its effect on student outcomes in a range of school contexts. It confirms that the programme has huge potential to develop students' broader life skills and confidence and that it can contribute significantly to building positive student-teacher relationships. The report points to better academic outcomes and increased rates of progression to higher education among transition year students. It identifies making the programme more attractive to disadvantaged schools as a clear challenge for the future. In my response to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on its advice around senior cycle reform, I have requested that the needs of students in these schools be particularly addressed as the proposed curriculum components are developed further.
The transition year programme is evaluated and reported upon on an ongoing basis in individual schools by my Department's inspectorate as part of its overall inspection plan.