Mr. John Hammond:

The curriculum is constantly in the process of renewing itself and some aspects are always under review. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, is conducting a review of the primary curriculum and a review of the senior cycle education programme will also commence this month.

Last year the NCCA oversaw an extensive consultation process on the structure of the primary curriculum and how time was used within it. Work this year involves a further teasing out of what a redeveloped curriculum might look like and what it might include and say about teaching and learning in the years to come. As part of this process, we will be exploring the purpose of a primary curriculum, its values and priorities, its underpinning philosophy and principles, its pedagogical approaches and the various curriculum themes, areas and subjects that should comprise the primary curriculum. The redevelopment of the curriculum also provides exciting opportunities to consider new aspects to children’s learning, for example, computational thinking and coding and their potential to further promote and support education on the arts.

The review of the senior cycle education programme will be significant and exciting for the NCCA in 2018. It can build on existing developments at junior cycle. It is timely because the last significant changes to the structure of the senior cycle programme took place over 20 ago. It will, among other things, raise questions for discussion in areas such as core experiences at senior cycle, key skills for senior cycle, flexible curriculum programmes and pathways for learning, the balance we should be trying to achieve between school autonomy and prescription in the curriculum at senior cycle, and the sites for learning at senior cycle. These are all areas in which those committed to the arts in education will have an interest. The review offers everybody an opportunity to generate a shared vision for the senior cycle programme and a strong base from which to shape a curriculum that will genuinely meet the needs of all learners for years to come.

From an NCCA perspective, there is an ongoing commitment to the arts as a central area of education for the 21st century learner. Recent curriculum developments and collaborations provide evidence of that continuing commitment. Ongoing and future curriculum review offers everyone the opportunity to advocate for further innovation and improvement in provision for education in the arts. The NCCA encourages all involved to participate fully in the ongoing and forthcoming reviews.