Mr. Pádraig Mac Fhlannchadha:

I will respond to questions raised by Senators Healy Eames and Mac Conghail on the vagueness of the framework and the extent to which the statements of learning can be assessed. I will also look at the question of continuous professional development, CPD.

The key difference in the new junior cycle is that schools will develop programmes of learning that will meet the requirements of the 24 statements of learning. The new core of the junior cycle will be the 24 statements of learning. The 24 statements of learning will be delivered through the programme that schools will develop. That programme will consist of subjects, short courses and other learning experiences either for the purposes of certification or otherwise. The reason for this is to ensure the school can develop a programme that will meet the needs of the students in the individual school, and also in accordance with the resources that the school has available. Therefore, it is not the statements of learning that will be assessed as such; they will be assessed through assessment of the short courses, the subjects and the other learning experiences that form part of the school's programme of learning. That will be the experience of the students.