asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the specific initiatives she has taken or intends to take to develop modern continental languages and courses in new technologies in our schools.
Written Answers. - Language and Technology Courses.
140.
When I launched the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment some months ago I identified two areas in particular which I wished the council to address as a matter of urgency. These were the role of modern continental languages and the role of technology in the curriculum. I have recently arranged for two symposia to be held by the council on these issues. The symposium on modern continental languages involved approximately 100 people including language teachers, school managers, representatives from CII, CTT, EC, the embassies and the cultural institutes. The symposium which considered the development of technology was also attended by a wide range of interests from within the education sector and from bodies such as the CII, ICTU, FÁS, CERT, EOLAS and other agencies.
I am now awaiting a report from the council on their findings in relation to these issues. In the interim I am having a circular letter sent to all post primary schools in order to ascertain the extent to which expertise in the teaching of German, Spanish or Italian may be under utilised in our schools.
143.
asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in each sector which have a six year cycle made up of a transition year, VPTP third year leaving certificate, fourth year junior cycle, pre-employment course, secretarial course and repeat leaving certificate; and the number of pupils in each category.
The information required by the Deputy is given in tabular form as follows:
No. of Schools providing the Stated Option*
|
Secondary |
Vocational |
Community |
Comprehensive |
|
|
Fourth Year junior Cycle |
91 |
48 |
6 |
1 |
|
Third Year Leaving Cert.† |
25 |
13 |
1 |
2 |
|
Repeat Leaving Cert. |
326 |
135 |
35 |
11 |
|
Transition Year and other General Courses |
64 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
|
Secretarial Courses** |
30 |
173 |
23 |
9 |
|
Other Vocational and Technical Courses** |
136 |
164 |
27 |
7 |
|
Total No. of Schools in Sector |
505 |
252 |
44 |
15 |
No. of Pupils taking the Stated Option*
|
Secondary |
Vocational |
Community |
Comprehensive |
|
|
Fourth Year Junior Cycle |
5,958 |
1,432 |
234 |
158 |
|
Third Year Leaving Cert.† |
673 |
1,388 |
38 |
41 |
|
Repeat Leaving Cert. |
3,191 |
2,238 |
362 |
161 |
|
Transition Year and other General Courses |
2,210 |
458 |
88 |
238 |
|
Secretarial Course** |
731 |
6,130 |
559 |
186 |
|
Other Vocational and Technical Courses** |
3,108 |
7,715 |
859 |
263 |
|
Total No. of Pupils in Sector |
215,955 |
83,181 |
30,455 |
8,941 |
*Data refer to the 1986-87 Academic Year and are provisional. A school may provide one or more of the options listed above.
†Many of the schools which returned themselves as providing a Third Year Leaving Certificate are in fact providing a Repeat Leaving Certificate course. For the purposes of the reply, the schools and pupils concerned are included under both headings, i.e., Third-Year Leaving Certificate and Repeat Leaving Certificate.
**Schools providing and pupils enrolled in VPTP courses are included under the headings Secretarial Courses and Other Vocational and Technical Courses. The term Pre-employment is no longer relevant. Schools providing Secretarial and Other Vocational and Technical Courses are not necessarily providing these courses as part of a six-year cycle.
144.
asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in each post-primary sector offering the following languages at intermediate and leaving certificate levels, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
The information required by the Deputy is given in tabular form as follows:
No. of Schools providing the Stated Subject at Junior Cycle*
|
Secondary |
Vocational |
Community and Comprehensive |
Total |
|
|
French |
495 |
200 |
62 |
757 |
|
German |
149 |
9 |
21 |
179 |
|
Spanish |
64 |
8 |
3 |
75 |
|
Italian |
6 |
— |
1 |
7 |
|
No. of Schools providing Junior Cycle† |
498 |
236 |
63 |
797 |
No. of Schools providing the Stated Subject to Leaving Certificate*
|
Secondary |
Vocational |
Community and Comprehensive |
Total |
|
|
French |
493 |
179 |
60 |
732 |
|
German |
136 |
6 |
22 |
164 |
|
Spanish |
72 |
6 |
5 |
83 |
|
Italian |
13 |
— |
1 |
14 |
|
No. of Schools providing the Leaving Certificate Course† |
495 |
222 |
60 |
777 |
*Data refer to the 1985-86 Academic Year.
†Twelve schools (seven secondary and five vocational) in five centres operate a system of common enrolment. Each centre is treated as a community/comprehensive school and the participating schools are not counted as secondary or vocational schools for the purposes of the reply.