Charlie McConalogue
Question:174 Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in carrying out Leaving Certificate reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36303/12]
View answerThursday, 19 July 2012
Questions (174)
Written answers
My key priority in second level education is the reform of the Junior Cycle. I am aware that reform is also required in senior cycle. In this context, curriculum and assessment reform is well advanced in a number of senior cycle subject areas. Project Maths has been introduced to all schools now and the first examination incorporating Project Maths for the Leaving Certificate took place in June of this year. The roll out will continue to be reviewed and adjusted over the next few years, as necessary. As part of this process, a joint NCCA/HEA conference on Mathematics education in Ireland will bring together Irish and international experts in the field. This conference will take place in the Autumn. June 2012 also saw the first examinations in Leaving Certificate Gaeilge under the new assessment arrangements, where 40% of the marks awarded are allocated to oral language skills.
Work is also progressing in relation to the development of key skills across the curriculum as well as in the following subjects — biology, chemistry and physics. A review of the four modern languages, French, German, Italian and Spanish is well underway and will be the subject of consultation this coming Autumn.
As well as the work on senior cycle curriculum and assessment reform, a number of other areas are being progressed that relate directly to the transition from second to third level education. These areas of work arose from the very successful joint HEA/NCCA conference last September and include:
a review of predictability in the Leaving Certificate examination,
consideration of the current 14 point grading system for Leaving Certificate subjects, with a view to changing to an 8 point grading system,
research into the viability, and potential benefits and consequences, of including Mathematics and/or English in the prepared in calculation of points for all courses.