Mr. Dermot Carney:

Yes, or in Collins Barracks. The exhibition has gone from strength to strength and is attended by a wide number of schools, educators, artists and visitors. The accounts of the grant funding are audited annually and returns are made to the Departments involved. To date more than 600 arts in education projects have been completed since the programme began. The school leaders, teachers, artists and the students have made Creative Engagement what it is, an extremely popular programme which, given sufficient funding, could expand even further.

With respect to the new junior certificate, within the curriculum the NAPD continues to support positive change in the arts in schools.As part of the new art syllabus there is an opportunity for students to develop their abilities through the programmes being envisaged. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has mentioned some of these. There is even a wider significance in that all students can now have some contact with the arts through the 100-hour short courses. The NAPD was involved in creating and developing the short course on performance art among others. It welcomes the new junior cycle programme as this offers greater flexibility and autonomy to schools to design their own courses. Schools have a wonderful opportunity to develop ways of involving the whole school community with this new structured exposure of students to the arts.

The six key skills, which probably have been mentioned previously, are being creative, managing information and thinking, working with others, managing myself, staying well and communicating. These are all central elements to life in arts education and are reflected both in the new junior certificate curriculum and the extra curricular Creative Engagement programme.

Much of the approach to the new junior cycle involves changing traditional teaching methods. The teacher prepares the classes, organises the materials, the media resources and is in control but the students are expected to make their own learning within the parameters set by the teacher. Students have to be creative. They have to visualise. They have to link research to their creations. They have to collaborate and they have to manage their time.

As an association representing the leaders of second level schools, the NAPD has a great deal to contribute to pillar 1 of the Creative Ireland programme. This is an exciting programme and is welcomed by the NAPD. It is a five-year programme beginning this year and ending in 2022 and one that involves the co-operation of two or more Departments for its funding. The NAPD not only has vast experience in arts in education programmes in schools but it has worked with both those Departments for many years. Creative Ireland is designed to bring creativity to a wider range of people in Ireland beginning with young people. The NAPD looks forward to making itself available to help and support Creative Ireland in achieving its aims.

The arts rich school as a concept was written into the 2013 Arts in Education Charter. The NAPD members have been leading on the arts rich school for many years. It welcomed the charter's recognition of the concept and the work that can be done in schools. The arts rich school is currently called "the creative school".The NAPD again supports efforts to enhance the role of the arts in the school. School leaders are crucial, as Ms Kay O'Brien said, to the success of arts programmes in schools and the NAPD looks forward to offering its experience and its network to all efforts to embed the concept of the creative school.

Looking to the future, applications to Creative Engagement have doubled in the past six year. With increased financial support, the programme can continue to expand. The NAPD looks forward to the reform of the leaving certificate syllabus, which is happening. It looks forward to the reform of the assessment of the leaving certificate examination. It will continue to place creativity and the arts at the centre of their schools and, as such, add to the well-being of all of our students in post-primary schools. It will work with the high level implementation group to achieve the aims of the 2013 Arts in Education Charter. It will work and collaborate with Creative Ireland to achieve its aims.

The arts are at the heart of the nation. They unlock the imagination. They open up minds and hearts to new ideas. They help us understand ourselves. They enhance life. We in the NAPD thank the committee for the opportunity to address its members today and we wish them every good fortune in all their work.