Vol. 577 No. 3
95 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science if there are planned changes in the curriculum for the leaving certificate examination for the current academic year and for the academic year 2004-05; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30979/03]
109 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Education and Science if there are planned changes in the curriculum for the junior certificate examination for the current academic year and for the academic year 2004-05; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30980/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 109 together.
A revised syllabus for science was introduced, on an optional basis, in the current 2003-04 academic year for the junior certificate examination in 2006 and following years. A new syllabus in religious education at leaving certificate level was introduced in the current academic year; it is available as an option for those schools in which pupils took the religious education junior certificate examination in June 2003. Other schools will be invited to apply in subsequent years. Religious education will be examined in the leaving certificate examination in 2005 and following years. Revised syllabuses in history and in geography will be introduced in September 2004 for the leaving certificate examination in 2006 and following years.
In addition to the above, a revised junior certificate physical education syllabus has been introduced as a non-examination subject in a selected number of schools with effect from 2003-04, and social personal and health education, also a non-examination subject, has been made a mandatory junior cycle subject in all schools with effect from September 2003.
The prescribed material which pupils may study – mainly in the case of language subjects such as English or Irish – may change from time to time. Lists of prescribed material are published approximately two years ahead of the relevant examination. The prescribed material for the certificate examinations in 2004 and in 2005 is identified on my Department's website www.education.ie
