Vol. 415 No. 9
19 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Education if he will outline the measures he proposes to take to meet the recommendations for greater emphasis on vocational and technical education contained in the Culliton report, Industrial Policy for the 1990s-A Time for Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
39 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to give a higher priority in the educational system to the acquisition of usable and marketable skills; and his views on whether an adequate priority is being given to these in the system at present.
68 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to de-emphasise the bias towards the liberal arts and the traditional professions within the educational system.
71 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to de-emphasise the bias towards the liberal arts and the traditional professions within the educational system.
77 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to de-emphasise the bias towards the liberal arts and the traditional professions within the educational system.
82 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to give a higher priority in the educational system to the acquisition of usable and marketable skills; and his views on whether an adequate priority is being given to these in the system at present.
86 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to give a higher priority in the educational system to the acquisition of usable and marketable skills; and his views on whether an adequate priority is being given to these in the system at present.
110 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to de-emphasise the bias towards the liberal arts and the traditional professionals within the educational system.
112 Mr. Doyle asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to give a higher priority in the educational system to the acquisition of usable and marketable skills; and his views on whether an adequate priority is being given to these in the system at present.
115 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans to give a higher priority in the educational system to the acquisition of usable and marketable skills; and his views on whether an adequate priority is being given to these in the system at present.
119 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Education if he has any proposals to de-emphasise the bias towards the liberal arts and the traditional professions within the educational system.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 39, 68, 71, 77, 82, 86, 110, 112, 115 and 119 together.
The questions raised by the Deputies are addressed comprehensively in the Green Paper. Detailed proposals are made to strengthen the vocational and technical orientation of programmes while maintaining in line with thinking internationally, the need for a broadly based general education as an essential prerequisite for the development of higher level skills and competencies.
I do not propose to elaborate further pending issue of the Green Paper. At that time ample opportunity will be available to comment on proposals.
May I have a definitive commitment from the Minister in relation to a date for the publication of the Green Paper? The Culliton report was quite scathing about our over orientation towards academic education to the exclusion of vocational, technical and practical education in many schools. On foot of that is there not an immediate need to introduce to all second level schools a certain core technical curriculum? Should we not update and monitor all aspects of technical education here?
With regard to my commitment to the Green Paper, I intend to publish the Reform of Education discussion paper, known as the Green Paper, in the first week in March. I will not delay it.
I agree with the Deputy who has more knowledge of this at this juncture than 1. His philosophy is correct. There is a need for more technical and vocational input at second level. The Green Paper supports the Culliton report in its analysis and accepts that too much emphasis has been placed on the academic leaving certificate. It is not just the Green Paper and the Culliton report which support that view. There have been other reports from CII, the OECD, the World Bank and so on which concluded that there is an urgent need to put greater emphasis on the non-academic areas in the leaving certificate curriculum. I will look at whether we can do something about that in the short term, but it might be better to get on with the Green Paper and set a definite time limit to it and get to legislation as soon as possible. My initial reservation about the Green Paper, which was quoted in some newspapers, was only to the extent of impatience, in that I wondered whether a Green Paper followed by a White Paper, followed by legislation was just too lengthy a process. Having examined it carefully I concluded that given the complexity of this subject, it is probably the wisest way to proceed.
May I appeal for brevity. If we are to dispose of these five questions I need co-operation.
In view of the Minister's reply I will dispense with my priority question No. 23, because the Minister has effectively answered it. Is the Minister aware of a worry that the new junior certificate subject technology is being used as an umbrella subject for woodwork, metalwork and mechanical drawing and that this creates a movement away from hand and eye material contact with the subjects? Will he accept that what we are doing now is introducing——
The question is over long.
—a theoretical rather than a practical orientation of those subjects and that there is immediate need to take a step in this regard, because what we are doing——
Brevity.
—is introducing cut price technical education?
The Deputy's general analysis and vision is correct and I know he will give me time to examine the points he made.
