Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 October 2019
117. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress on the proposed PLC course at a school (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed PLC course at another school has been postponed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42615/19]
View answerThe Further Education and Training (FET) sector provides a broad range of provision at levels 1 to 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications, to meet the needs of over 300,000 learners.
The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme is the largest of the full time FET programmes with over 30,000 PLC places available annually. PLC provision is planned at a national level by SOLAS and the vast majority of courses are delivered through Education and Training Boards (ETBs). In the context of the annual planning of FET provision, it is a matter for each ETB to determine how best to distribute and plan the programme allocations to meet the further education and training needs of their area.
FET provision for Dublin 15 is planned by Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). This year almost 2,697 PLC places were allocated to DDLETB and almost 7,201 PLC places were allocated to City of Dublin ETB.
I understand that as part of a plan to establish PLC provision in the Dublin 15 area, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) worked with Blakestown Community School and Riversdale Community College to start delivery of a total of 3 PLC courses commencing in September 2019. Following promotion campaigns which included leaflet drops, information sent to schools, website advertising and social media, the take up was slow in both schools. Blakestown postponed start up until September 2020 and as only two applicants turned up to start in Riversdale, this college also decided to postpone and arranged for the two students to be accommodated elsewhere.
DDLETB will continue to work closely with the Department and the community schools in Dublin 15 to support the establishment of PLC provision in 2020.
