Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been established to advise the Department on the curriculum for primary and second level schools. The council has no plans at present to introduce European studies as a subject in the leaving certificate.

Civic, social and political education is a mandatory subject for all students in the junior cycle and is an examination subject which is assessed through a written paper and an action project. The aim of the action project is to give students practical experience of active citizenship. This includes fostering a sense of belonging and awareness of social inclusion and justice issues, a capacity to gain access to information and structures relating to the society in which they live and an ability and confidence to participate in democratic society. Students choose a theme for their action project which is designed around the skills of identification and awareness of a social justice issue, planning, research, analysis and evaluation, reporting and engaging in joint action which develop social and political skills.

CSPE is based on seven basic concepts, which ought to underpin all citizenship-based activity in our communities, not just our schools. These concepts are human dignity, rights and responsibilities, stewardship, development, democracy, the law and interdependence. There are four units in the programme — the individual and citizenship, the community action project, the State, and Ireland and the world. Topical issues in the latter unit are the EU and its structures, including the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of Europe. In addition, subjects like history, geography, science, music and art include a European dimension and the languages offered in second level schools provide for a cultural awareness component.

The report of the task force on active citizenship includes a recommendation on the development of a senior cycle programme on citizenship for schools. Since 2005, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been involved in an intensive phase of planning and development in key areas of the senior cycle. A new subject, politics and society, which is proposed as an optional examinable full subject, is being developed. A background paper on social and political education in senior cycle has been published for consultation. A report on the consultation process was completed in May 2007. Both reports are available on the council's website, www.ncca.ie. Development work is continuing. The Minister for Education and Science has not yet received formal proposals on the matter from the council. He looks forward to receiving its advice on this issue at an early date. In addition, the "in search of Europe" module is commonly offered in the transition year programme. The programme, which is followed by over 28,000 students, is a flexible framework by means of which schools can offer optional modules which encourage personal development, active learning, social awareness and community participation.

The European studies curriculum development project was established in 1986 by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, the Department of Education and Science in Ireland and the Department for Education and Employment in the UK. The project is jointly funded by the education departments in Northern Ireland and Ireland. The overall aim of the project is to encourage co-operation between participating students and staff and to contribute to educational development in the wider dimension of the European Community. It informs students about current social economic and political issues and structures at national and European level. Some 282 schools from 24 jurisdictions participate in the European studies project. The highest participation levels are in Northern Ireland, where 81 schools are participating, and the Republic, where 71 schools are participating. The schools work in clusters of five or six. Each cluster must have two schools from Northern Ireland — one from each tradition — and a school from Ireland.

Various units of study and topics in the junior and senior programmes have been designed to assist students in examining areas of shared interest today and areas of conflict in the past. They are intended to broaden the students' knowledge and understanding of their own place and their relationship to others in the Europe of today. The junior programme, which is curriculum-based, offers units of study supported by specially produced materials in the areas of English, geography and history. It uses English as its language of communication and is confined to students between the ages of 11 and 15. The senior programme, which can be adapted to meet the needs of students aged 15 years and over, is a one-year course of study. It is cross-curricular in scope and allows students and their teachers to choose from a range of topics with economic, political, cultural, technological, social and environmental perspectives.

The Minister for Education and Science is waiting for the NCCA to outline examples of its proposals to include short courses in the leaving certificate examination. The implications of those proposals in terms of teacher qualifications, assessment and resources will have to be determined. If such courses are approved, they will provide a vehicle by means of which this issue may be further explored. However, I am satisfied that the current curriculum, allied with future development of a subject on politics and society, will provide a strong basis through which the study of the role of the European Union and its culture, structures, history and impact can be progressed.

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