Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 May 2008
444 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to complete the senior cycle review that is currently being undertaken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. [18415/08]
View answerThe NCCA proposals for reform envisaged re-structuring of senior cycle programmes into subjects, short courses and Transition Units, a strengthening of practical project and portfolio assessment, a spread of assessment events with subjects having two assessment components, and embedding of key skills into subjects.
In response, the then Minister Mary Hanafin. T.D. welcomed the embedding of core skills, the inclusion of a second assessment component, and the moves to standardise transition units. She asked that change be implemented on a phased basis over a significant period of time, minimising disruption, taking account of logistical and cost factors and system capacity to change. The Minister asked the NCCA to prioritise the reconfiguration of subjects generally within the Leaving Certificate in order to embed key skills, and to provide for a second assessment component. She indicated her concern the TYP should remain as a single year programme for equity reasons. On short courses, she asked the NCCA to develop as an exemplar a short course in Enterprise Education, building on the existing Links Modules, so that the Department could better assess the implementation issues.
The NCCA has established a network to undertake development work with schools. A standardised framework for Transition Unit descriptors has been developed, and organisations are using these as new programme options for TYP are being developed. Reforms are under way in Irish to strengthen oral competence and to increase the proportion of marks for the oral examinations to 40% for all new entrants beginning second level in 2007/8.
Reform in Mathematics Education at junior and senior cycle is also beginning on a phased basis. This will start in 24 project schools with effect from 2008/9, and will begin in mainstream schools from September 2010. The reforms are designed to provide a bridging framework from the revised primary curriculum into second level, promote greater maths literacy across the school population, bring changed emphasis in the mathematics learnt and, in particular, a strong focus on context and applications and problem solving and a greater ICT dimension, encourage greater take up at higher level, and provide a solid foundation which prepares students for careers in science, technology, engineering, business or humanities options. For schools involved in the initial implementation from September 2008, students will experience mathematics in a new way. Teachers will be provided with classroom materials to enable them to adopt the new approaches and will be supported professionally in embracing change. These materials and supports will include lesson plans, with teacher guides and student worksheets, on-line exemplars and a range of assessment materials. Examination questions will also be changed for these students.
Recommendations are expected shortly from the NCCA in regard to senior cycle science subjects, and a number of short courses and Transition units. Work is also at an advanced stage in regard to proposals for the subjects Social Personal and Health Education and Politics and Society in senior cycle, but proposals in this area have not as yet been submitted to my Department.
445 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to review the format and content of transition year. [18416/08]
View answerThe proposals of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment for reform of senior cycle envisaged a re-structuring of programmes into subjects, short courses and transition units. The Council proposed the development of Transition Units as 45 hour units of study which would provide a broad range of experiences for learners, incorporating innovative methodologies and supporting the development of key skills. The Council proposed that school based assessment would be inbuilt into each transition unit, and models for the validation of schools to develop their own Transition Units would be explored. The units would cover such areas of learning as creative applications, skills, personal achievement, sampling of subjects, enterprise, civic and social education, and work and future.
In response, the then Minister Mary Hanafin TD welcomed the measures to standardise transition units, and indicated her concern that the Transition Year Programme should remain as a single year programme for equity reasons.
The NCCA has established a network to undertake development work with schools. A standardised framework for Transition Unit descriptors has been developed, and organisations are using these as new programme options for TYP are being developed. The decriptors are designed to promote better planning and communication and provide for greater clarity and coherence in the implementation of the programme. They require schools to set out the aims of the unit, its learning outcomes, how key skills are being integrated, what methodologies and assessment approaches will be taken and how it will be evaluated.
New Transition Units have been developed and posted to the NCCA website in a range of areas and a guide has been produced to help schools to develop their own units in keeping with the descriptor format. Schools may forward their Transition Units to the NCCA for further feedback and support.
