School Curriculum

Thursday, 22 November 2018

Questions (81)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

81. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of requests by him to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018 for the examination of the addition of subjects and-or reform of curricula (details supplied); the number for which an examination has been completed; the length of the examination in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48752/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The following table sets out the main requests from Ministers/DES Management formally received by the NCCA over the period in question and progress/outcomes in relation to these. However, it is very important to note that the NCCA is an aegis body of the DES and as such many of the main areas of their work are discussed and decided on in the context of regular deliberations on the NCCA’s Strategic Plan, its Annual Plans of Work, the Department’s Action Plans and the national strategies and initiatives prioritised by the Department. For example Languages Connect, my Departments Foreign Language Strategy requires the development of new syllabuses in Mandarin, Portuguese, Polish and Lithuanian. Therefore, the specific requests tabulated represent only one dimension of the work of the NCCA as a statutory body.

Date	Request	Progress/Outcomes
August 2011	Request to develop new curriculum specifications for Languages (Irish and English) and Mathematics st primary level in line with actions included in the DES Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.	A new Languages curriculum has been developed and introduced on a phased basis. Work on the Mathematics curriculum for is ongoing.
November 2012	Request for NCCA to develop a Framework for Junior Cycle	The Framework was introduced in schools in 2015. From 2014-2018 NCCA completed work on 21 subject specifications, 11 short courses and Guidelines on Wellbeing in the context of developing the contents of the Framework.
April 2013	General request to continue to prioritise work on the Irish language at primary, junior and senior cycle levels.	An integrated languages curriculum has been developed at primary level. New specifications for Junior Cycle Irish for Irish-medium and English-medium schools have been introduced in schools in 2018. Work on new Leaving Certificate specifications is ongoing.
October 2013	Request to develop the Aistear/Síolta Practice Guide for Early Childhood Education.	Practice guide developed, in use and providing a basis for professional development in the sector.
January/February 2015	Request to develop a short course in Junior Cycle Philosophy and continue development of LC Politics and Society	LC Politics and Society introduced in schools in 2016. JC Philosophy available to schools in 2017.
March 2015	Request to develop a standard report template as part of the Framework for Junior Cycle and the junior cycle developments	The report template for the Junior Cycle Profile of achievement was developed and introduced for the first cohort of students in 2017.
April 2015	Request to develop Guidelines on the new curriculum area of Wellbeing as part of the Framework for Junior Cycle and the junior cycle developments	Guidelines on Wellbeing were developed and introduced for use in schools in 2017.
December 2016	Request to consider potential for introduction of Leaving Certificate Computer Science and Coding at primary level into the curriculum	LC Computer Science developed in 2017 and introduced in schools in 2018. Development work with schools on coding ongoing and informing primary curriculum review.
April 2018	Request to review Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools	Review ongoing. Report in Q2, 2019.
September 2018	Request to conduct a curriculum audit of Traveller culture and history in the curriculum	Audit commencing November 2018. Report Q2, 2019.
November 2018	Request to develop a new second assessment component for Leaving Certificate Science subjects	Work commencing December 2018.