Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 April 2018
181. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the decision to introduce a new mathematics curriculum just as teachers have become used to the old one (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the disquiet among experienced teachers in regard to the introduction of the new curriculum and the lack of consultation which preceded its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17463/18]
View answerIt has been nearly 20 years since the introduction of the current Primary School Mathematics Curriculum in 1999. Much has changed and happened since then. In meeting the demands of unprecedented societal and educational change, it is important to review and update the curriculum to ensure children are afforded a high-quality, coherent, and more relevant mathematics education that will contribute towards their personal and academic learning and development. The Primary Mathematics Curriculum will aim to develop learners’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning and productive disposition. Equipping learners with these five strands of Mathematical proficiency will provide them with vital life skills and a foundation for citizenship in the 21st century.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) began developing the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum in September 2016. This curriculum is for all children and is underpinned by the view that every child is capable of engaging with mathematical concepts and ideas from birth. Initial work focused on junior infants to second class. Consultation on a draft of this part of the curriculum began in October 2017 and finished in mid-March 2018. Consultation included online questionnaires, consultation seminars in Limerick, Sligo and Dublin, written submissions and a network of schools working with the draft curriculum.
Work has begun on the analysis of the data gathered through the consultation. This work will be presented in a consultation report which will be published on the NCCA website before the summer. The report will also set out next steps for work on the primary mathematics curriculum including work on the senior classes.
The Department of Education and Skills recently agreed to a proposed revised schedule for the implementation of the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum, whereby the curriculum will be introduced to schools as a single-stage implementation, from Junior Infants through to 6th class, rather than in two stages, Junior Infants to 2nd class and then 3rd class to 6th class, as originally planned. The revision arises in good part from learning from the implementation of the Primary Language Curriculum, including listening to extensive feedback received from that process. While the revised approach to implementation of the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum will impact on timing at the initial stages, the proposed date for full implementation of the curriculum in all years of primary, September 2021, remains unchanged.
Following the recent changes made by the to the implementation plans, the NCCA will publish the draft curriculum for junior infants to sixth class in late 2018 for consultation. This draft will incorporate work carried out on foot of findings from the recent consultation. The second consultation will again include work with a network of schools.
For further information including the extensive body of mathematics research which informed the development of the draft curriculum, see https://www.ncca.ie/en/primary/primary-developments/maths-curriculum#panel2.
