Continuing professional development for Junior Cycle is given by the dedicated Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) team which is funded by my Department.
As an initial step in the Junior Cycle CPD process, schools are requested to register their teachers with JCT in the relevant subject area. JCT records indicate that in 2013/14, 4,814 teachers attended CPD for teachers of Junior Cycle English, representing 89% approximately of such teachers registered with JCT as of June 2014. The Deputy should note that in 2013/14 teachers of English from all post primary school sectors (ETB, community and comprehensive, and voluntary secondary) registered for and attended CPD. Figures for subject specific CPD for the current school year are in the attached table.
For non-subject specific CPD (e.g. whole school, short courses etc) schools rather than individual teachers register with JCT. Accordingly, in 2014/15, CPD for Level 2 Learning programmes was provided for 80 schools. In the current school year non-subject CPD was provided as follows: whole school 179 schools; short courses 22 schools; level 2 learning programmes 55 schools; Subject Learning and Assessment Reviews (SLARs) 175 schools (one teacher nominated by each school).
In addition, CPD was provided for 1,240 school leaders in 2013/14 and for 369 school leaders in 2015/16.
Significant resources are available both on the NCCA and on the JCT websites for teachers and others, including students, to access.
Currently students in second year who may not have completed their first classroom-based assessment will, as agreed with both of the teacher unions in 2015, have the opportunity to complete this early in the autumn term of the 2016/ 2017 school year.
My Department remains willing to provide the ASTI with any further clarifications to the agreement their leaders signed last May so as to ensure that all students can complete all aspects of the new Junior Cycle programme.
Junior Cycle Subject Specific CPD (2015/16)
|
Subject
|
No. of teachers
|
No of teachers registered with JCT for subject
|
% of registered teacher attending
|
|
English
|
1286
|
5612
|
23%
|
|
Science
|
945
|
3413
|
28%
|
|
Business
|
625
|
1486
|
42%
|
