Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2015
955. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the primary curriculum review being carried out by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will be completed; if she will provide details of the current curriculum in terms of subjects and the share of time spent on each subject during the primary school and secondary school day, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21622/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe commencement of the overall review of the Primary curriculum will be marked by a public consultation process that will begin in Q1 2016. This will provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to outline their views on the existing curriculum and their priorities for the future.
The development of the new integrated language curriculum, the mathematics curriculum, and the ERB and Ethics curriculum, currently on-going, will feed into the review of the overall primary curriculum.
To assist teachers and schools in planning the implementation of the current primary curriculum, a suggested minimum weekly time framework was provided in the 1999 Primary Curriculum Introduction document. This suggested minimum weekly time framework is outlined in the table.
|
Full day |
Short day |
|
|
[infant classes] |
||
|
Curriculum areas |
One week |
One week |
|
Hours Minutes Hours Minutes |
||
|
Secular instruction |
||
|
Language |
||
|
L1 |
04:00 |
03:00 |
|
L2 |
03:30 |
02:30 |
|
Mathematics |
03:00 |
02:15 |
|
SESE |
03:00 |
02:15 |
|
SPHE |
00:30 |
00:30 |
|
PE |
01:00 |
01:00 |
|
Arts education |
03:00 |
02:30 |
|
Discretionary curriculum time |
02:00 |
01:00 |
|
Total secular instruction |
20:00 |
15:00 |
|
Religious education (typically) |
02:30 |
02:30 |
|
Assembly time |
01:40 |
01:40 |
|
Roll call |
00:50 |
00:50 |
|
Breaks |
00:50 |
00:50 |
|
Recreation (typically) |
02:30 |
02:30 |
|
Total |
28:20 |
23:20 |
