Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
672. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education if she or her Department have carried out a risk assessment or an impact assessment on the new Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum; and if so, if she will provide the details of these assessments. [38443/23]
View answerThe main function of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is to advise me, as Minister for Education, on matters related to curriculum and assessment in early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools.
As part of good governance, the NCCA uses a risk management policy and framework which are designed to support the ongoing identification, assessment, monitoring, management and review of risk. As part of this, the Council maintains a Corporate Risk Register, which is under ongoing review and discussion by the Senior Management Team and approved by the Council.
The Council comprises of 26 members, with representatives from the teaching unions, management bodies, parent bodies and second-level student's union, among others.
The NCCA advises that, in considering risks involved in curriculum development, it ensures that its work is evidence informed, that robust consultation and engagement with stakeholders takes place; documentation such as consultation reports and research are publicly available online; and detailed deliberation takes place within its representative structures.
As part of the teaching and learning of SPHE, many sensitive issues may arise and the aim is to address them in a way that is inclusive and that is age and stage appropriate. The decision on what is age and stage appropriate is based on research and best practice including engaging with experts. It is also informed by extensive consultation with parents and guardians, teachers and young people and children themselves.
The teacher’s professional judgment plays a key role in identifying when an issue is age and stage appropriate for a particular class. Within the classroom, the teacher has a degree of flexibility to judge how particular topics should be addressed, so that learning takes place in a way that is meeting the needs and context of their students.
On 16 May, an updated Junior Cycle specification was published and it will be introduced into schools in September 2023. The SPHE specification is grounded in values of respect, equality, inclusivity, responsibility, dignity, compassion and empathy. The development group for the Junior Cycle SPHE specifications included representatives from the Department of Education, Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), Education and Training Board Ireland, Joint Managerial Body, National Parents’ Council Post-Primary, and Irish Universities Association. There were two NCCA nominees, one from the HSE and another from the University of Limerick.
The NCCA consultation on the draft Junior Cycle specification took place from July to October 2022, three months rather than the normal six week consultation. The majority of respondents, across all groups who engaged with the consultation, affirmed the overall direction of the updated Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum. This included responses from over 4,000 parents.
The NCCA published a report on the Junior Cycle consultation which can be found on their website at ncca.ie.
Updating of SPHE curricula is a commitment in the Programme for Government and the NCCA’s publication this summer of the draft specification for Senior Cycle SPHE is another mark of the progress being made in that regard. The Deputy may wish to note that the NCCA opened the consultation on July 12th 2023 and it will run until October 18th 2023. Public consultations are a key aspect of the curriculum development process and the aim is to engage as many stakeholders as possible. As such, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone with an interest in this vital area of the curriculum to make your feelings known by contributing to this consultation.
Development of a draft Primary specification is expected to be completed in early 2025, with public consultation on this specification planned for 2024.
