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Schools Inspections

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019

Friday, 6 September 2019

Ceisteanna (244)

Catherine Martin

Ceist:

244. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that provide leaving certificate applied level that have had subject key assignments externally inspected since the introduction of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34688/19]

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Freagraí scríofa

The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme is one of a number of options made available by the Department of Education and Skills for senior cycle students. The LCA is a distinct, self-contained two-year programme aimed at preparing students for adult and working life.

It is the responsibility and choice of each individual school to decide to put in place the LCA programme, based on the educational needs and interests of their students. 

The LCA inspection, carried out by the Inspectorate division in the Department of Education and Skills, evaluates all aspects of provision of the LCA programme in the school. This includes planning for teaching, observation of lessons and a review of samples of key assignments and key tasks, in addition to reviewing record keeping.

Key assignments form part of the assessment of module completion. In order to obtain credit for a module the student must satisfactorily complete all 4 key assignments and provide evidence of them. In addition to this the student must have at least 90 % attendance for that module. It is the class teacher and LCA coordinator in the school who assess key assignments in the first instance.

Evidence of Satisfactory Completion of Modules (student attendance record for the specific module & student evidence of each of the key assignments) must be available for inspection by Department of Education & Skills until the individual student has completed the two years of the programme and the final result for all sessions has been issued.

Please see below table of the number of LCA programme Inspections carried out by this Department for the last five years:

 

Number of Programme Evaluations on LCA Programmes

2015

7

2016

4

2017

6

2018

7

2019 (YTD)

6

To note, a key theme of the Senior Cycle Review being carried out by the NCCA will be the future form and reform of the existing senior cycle programmes – which includes the LCA programme.

Alongside the overall review of Senior Cycle the NCCA has also developed updated LCA Module Descriptors in English and Communications, ICT (Introductory Module and Specialism), and Mathematical Applications. The revised module descriptors will be implemented in schools from September 2020.

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