Written Answers. - Second Level Education System.
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
391
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will outline the tremendous transformation of our second level education system in recent years; the principal participants involved and input into such tremendous transformation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[26272/00]
The curriculum in second level has been revised to a significant degree in recent years. Following the introduction of the junior certificate, all syllabi were revised by 1994 and wider forms of assessment were introduced for some subjects. More recently my Department, in conjunction with the NCCA, has been engaged in a consultative exercise with the partners in education on the junior cycle curriculum. This process is examining the overall curricular provision particularly with regard to additional forms of formative assessment to assist in better reporting to parents during the three-year cycle and summative assessment at the end of the cycle.
The junior certificate school programme has been introduced to schools to meet the needs of some pupils unable to follow a full junior certificate programme. The senior cycle programme has been significantly changed, with the transition year programme available to all schools, and a choice of three two year leaving certificate programmes – established leaving certificate, leaving certificate vocational programme and leaving certificate applied. This suite of programmes not only gives a broader vocational dimension to general education but also, in the case of the latter programme, provides a programme more suitable to the needs of many pupils.
Underpinning these curricular changes has been a greater emphasis on quality assurance, particularly in the area of examinations, whole school evaluation and school development planning. The examinations system has been refined, made more transparent and inclusive and procedures quality assured. Schools have been encouraged and supported to embark or develop further their school development planning and self-evaluative processes. School development planning deals with the setting of targets and specification of achievement objectives in the context of enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in schools. Following a very successful pilot programme, my Department is finalising its proposals for whole school evaluation, a process of assuring the quality of educational provision in the system as a whole. Underpinning all these various processes is the active involvement of teachers, school management, parents, industry, other agencies and local communities in a collaborative partnership process.
Notwithstanding the many competing demands on budgetary resources, the level of support for second level schools has been increased substantially in accordance with the Government's commitment to giving education a clear priority in the allocation of resources as set out in the policy document, An Action Programme for the Millennium.
Since 1997 over 1,200 additional teaching posts have been allocated at second level. As a result of this increase in resources all second level schools have an entitlement to an ex-quota allocation in respect of remedial education; all designated disadvantaged schools have been invited to participate in the home-school-community liaison scheme; the minimum allocation in respect of guidance has been raised; additional teaching resources have been allocated to schools offering the leaving certificate applied and-or the junior certificate schools programme; teachers who would otherwise have been liable for redeployment have been retained in their schools; and the pupil teacher ratio for appointment purposes has been reduced from 19:1 to 18:1.
The quality of the second level infrastructure has been significantly improved over the past three years through a programme of sustained capital investment. By the end of the current year, £112 million will have been expended on capital projects. For the next year, I have secured from Government an unprecedented £125 million for investment in second level infrastructure.
The standardper capita grant was increased by £7 to £184 last year and has been further increased by £8 from September this year to £192. I am particularly pleased to announce another significant increase of £10 for the next school year, bringing the standard per capita grant over £200 for the first time.
In addition, I have introduced the schools services support fund under which schools will now receive additional annual funding of £20 per pupil with a minimum payment of £4,000 per school. This fund will channel an additional £7 million to second level schools each year.
Schools have also benefited under the IT 2000 initiative. By the end of 2000, £41 million will have been allocated to second level schools under the initiative.
Schools have welcomed these improvements. It is my intention to improve further the funding of second level to the extent that the availability of resources permits.
