Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 April 2016
114. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers and schools that signed up for the new training scheme for the reformed junior cycle system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7978/16]
View answerA dedicated continuing professional development (CPD) service for schools, Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT), was established by my Department in 2013 to provide effective support to schools in the context of their implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle. Support is available from JCT to all post-primary schools, special schools and centres for education offering the Junior Cycle.
A comprehensive and long-term national programme of CPD for school leaders and teachers commenced in October 2013. CPD will be provided on a rolling basis as each new subject specification is implemented, throughout the duration of the implementation phases of the Framework for Junior Cycle. All schools will also have one whole-school in-service day per year for each year of the roll-out.
892 schools/centres have registered with JCT since October 2013, inclusive of the special and non-mainstream sectors. 11,363 subject specific teachers are registered for CPD with JCT across all sectors. This figure is expected to increase over the coming weeks as schools register their teachers of Irish, Art and Modern Foreign Languages for CPD in these subject areas.
