Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
500. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will consider introducing essential life skills such as personal financial management, nutrition and basic meal preparation as mandatory modules in the junior cycle or transition year programme. [21276/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department highly values life skills and work in this area comes under the umbrella term Wellbeing. The promotion of Wellbeing for all is central to the Department’s mission to enable individuals to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s social, cultural and economic development.
Wellbeing and positive mental health are afforded a high priority by the Department. The Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of wellbeing in schools and has a key role to play in the promotion of the wellbeing of children and young people in Ireland. The Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice sets out the ambition and vision of the Department that, by 2023, the promotion of wellbeing will be at the core of the ethos of every school and centre for education in Ireland, that all schools will provide evidence-informed approaches and support, appropriate to need, to promote the wellbeing of their students and that Ireland will be recognised as a leader in this area.
All students commencing Junior Cycle from September 2017 onwards undertake the area of learning called Wellbeing. Wellbeing crosses the three years of Junior Cycle and builds on substantial work already taking place in schools in support of students’ wellbeing. When planning a Wellbeing Programme schools should consider the NCCA developed short courses in PE, SPHE, and CSPE. These are the result of widespread consultation with education partners to ensure that the courses address important, relevant and meaningful learning for young people in these subjects. Wellbeing is one of the principles that underpins Junior Cycle education and is reflected in a number of the statements of learning that are central to planning for the student’s experience of and the evaluation of the schools Junior Cycle programme.
Transition Year offers pupils a broad educational experience with a view to the attainment of increased maturity, before proceeding to further study and/or vocational preparation. It provides a bridge to help pupils make the transition from a highly-structured environment to one where they will take greater responsibility for their own learning and decision making. Pupils will participate in learning strategies which are active and experiential and which help them to develop a range of transferable critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. Transition Year should also provide an opportunity for pupils to reflect on and develop an awareness of the value of education and training in preparing them for the ever-changing demands of the adult world of work and relationships.
