Richard Bruton
Ceist:5 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself with the arrangements made for the implementation of the primary curriculum. [20253/99)
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Revised Primary School Curriculum.
I am confident the arrangements which have been put in place to support the implementation of the revised primary school curriculum are appropriate and will provide high quality professional development opportunities for teachers and the wider education community. Planning for implementation has been under way for some considerable time. Over the past two years, the Government has prioritised investment in primary education and many of its initiatives have sought to anticipate the resource implications of the revised curriculum.
In addition, the primary curriculum implementation group, involving representatives of the education partners, has been in place since 1997, and has been deeply involved in proposing the support strategy, which I approved for implementation some months ago. Important strands which were addressed during this process include the circulation of information to schools during the lead-in period, arrangements for the distribution of the curriculum documentation, and planning for professional development programmes.
Central to the organisation of support has been the establishment of a dedicated primary curriculum support programme, in place since September 1998. With staffing, which includes a national co-ordinator, an assistant co-ordinator and a team of 40 trainers, the PCSP works in close co-operation with the national network of education support centres in organising professional development programmes.
The primary task of the PCSP is to support teachers in managing the implementation process. Already, within little more than a month since the launch of the curriculum, more than 3,000 teachers have participated in a two-day course entitled "An Introduction to the Curriculum".
By February 2000, every primary teacher will have had an opportunity of participating in this course, and further courses are planned for the latter part of the current school year as part of a phased support programme. Following each course, an in-school planning day will enable schools to begin the process of planning for implementation in their individual schools.
In addition to the national professional development programme, the education support centre network, in response to locally identified needs will organise additional activities for teachers and schools. The PCSP also has responsibility for liaising with parent and management groups to ensure that they too have access to information about the revised curriculum. Information seminars have already been organised in conjunction with the National Parents' Council – Primary. Further seminars for parents are planned and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will prepare an information booklet for parents on the revised curriculum.
The launch of the revised curriculum on 9 September marked the end of the development phase and the beginning of a phased approach to implementation, which will be supported over a four to five year period. This will involve the commitment of more than £5 million to the end of next year and further substantial funding thereafter. I am committed to ensuring that pupils in our schools experience the content and processes of learning promoted in the revised curriculum and that they have every opportunity to achieve high standards of both educational attainment and personal development. It is my intention that the effectiveness of the support programme, as well as levels of implementation in schools, will be closely monitored over the coming years.
Does the Minister think it is fair that the in-service training will be provided by sending children home for six days each year for the next five years and expecting parents to make alternative arrangements for their children? Does he accept that a more professional way to provide the major in-service investment for the implementation of the primary curriculum would be to negotiate with the trade unions to enable in-service training to take place during vacation periods?
I do not agree in the sense that it is important that everybody involved in education, including parents, respects and acknowledges the central importance of professional development in terms of the implementation of any revised curriculum. In-service is as valid a part of the school year as the school day itself. I am not sure if it is six days every year, although there is a major two day course this year because of a broad introductory programme—
It is six days normally.
That depends on how many subjects are done each year and how many schools cut back. The national primary parents' council has accepted this point and it said to me that it is important to send out the message that in-service is most important. It is also important that it is done properly and we have worked with all the partners in terms of developing the implementation programme. Everybody is on board not only in terms of the content of the curriculum but also the process.
I find it difficult to understand the Minister's argument that the school week must be disrupted if proper quality in-service training is to be provided and that this in some way gets parents to have blood on their shirts in relation to in-service training. I cannot see any merit in that view. Surely in-service training should be done in a professional way by giving enough time—
Yes.
—in vacation periods when there are no distractions in terms of trying to get back to manage various items relating to school activities. In any modern organisation, surely this is the way to provide in-service training rather than disrupting production to facilitate such training. It may make sense to the partnership the Minister mentioned, but it makes no sense to most parents whose children were sent home last Monday week and who had to make alternative arrangements. Perhaps both parents have to work to meet the cost of housing today.
It should also be pointed out that the in-service programme for the primary school curriculum is not the only in-service course under way at present. A range of other in-service programmes take place during Easter breaks and the summer vacation period. The number of information technology in-service programmes that have taken place outside school hours has been phenomenal over the past two years. By the end of this year, up to 40,000 teachers will have taken part in in-service programmes on information technology, many of which took place outside school hours.
The central point is that the issue of the terms and conditions of teachers cannot be effortlessly glossed over or put to one side. There are fundamental issues in this area also and the key issue as far as I am concerned is that the revised curriculum is a major advance in terms of content and process.
May I ask the Minister—
We must get rid of the notion that a day off for in-service training is a holiday or a waste of time for everybody. It improves the quality of the overall service which parents and children ultimately receive from primary education.
I think we need the Ceann Comhairle's protection against filibustering. Is the Minister aware of the serious concern about bottlenecks in relation to publishers? Will the Department either subsidise additional material or provide it, as it did in the past, to ensure the necessary curricular material is available on time to implement the curriculum?
I will investigate the issue of bottlenecks in terms of publishers. I understand the implementation group is working with publishers in relation to preparing text books, etc. However, the text book will have a smaller central role than it had previously, which is good.
What about materials?
A range of material has been issued to every school and teacher. As the Deputy is aware, a significant amount of material has gone out. This is the largest curricular support programme in the history of the State. For example, in 1971 no documentation was issued because of lack of resources. The material which has been issued is sufficient to enable teachers to teach the new curriculum. It contains fantastic information, including sample lessons, exemplar lessons and information on content and methodology. Teachers have already received a rich source of information.
We must conclude Priority Questions and move on to Other Questions. I remind the Minister and Members asking supplementary questions of the time limits on Other Questions. These are a maximum of one minute for a ministerial reply to a supplementary question and a maximum of one minute for the supplementary question.
One minute?
It is two minutes for the initial reply and one minute thereafter, subject to a maximum of six minutes overall.