Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
452. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the way in which the selection process for these teachers will work; the professional development they will receive; the allowances they will receive, given the extra workload (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12254/24]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the existing Primary School Curriculum was introduced in 1999. However, over the past 25 years, developments in education nationally and internationally, as well as changes in our society have created the need for review and redevelopment of our Primary Curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) have been engaging in this work in recent years.
As a result, and after extensive consultation to include school leaders and teachers, the New Primary Curriculum Framework, published in March 2023, sets out the direction of a redeveloped primary curriculum. The framework provides the blueprint for guiding the enhancement of primary and special education for the coming years. The new Primary Mathematics Curriculum was published in September 2023.
As part of the redevelopment of the Primary School Curriculum, the NCCA is consulting on the Draft Primary Curriculum Specifications in the following areas:
• Arts Education
• Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in the Primary Language Curriculum
• Social and Environmental Education (SEE)
• Science, Technology and Engineering (STE)
• Wellbeing.
The NCCA opened a public consultation on all the new specifications on the 6th March 2024 and the process will run until 7th June 2024. Access to this is available through the NCCA website.
All teachers teach the curriculum in our primary and special schools. It is recognised that the development of the Primary Curriculum will require support for teachers and school leaders. A comprehensive professional development programme will be provided on all the subject specifications within the new primary curriculum, through the Department’s support service Oide in the case of primary schools and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in the case of special schools.
Support for the Primary Mathematics Curriculum includes a range of face-to-face and online supports to assist school leaders and teachers as they work through the introduction, implementation and embedding of the new curriculum within our classrooms. The support to be provided for the other curriculum areas is under review by the Department and its support services prior to the introduction of the specifications in the 2025/26 school year.
