Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I have endorsed the broad thrust of the proposals on junior cycle reform submitted to me by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, in October 2011 following an extensive consultation process. It envisages all students will be expected to achieve 24 statements of learning over the three years of their junior cycle. These include developing an understanding of the natural world, learning how to think and act sustainably, understanding the distribution of social, economic and environmental phenomena, valuing local and national heritage and recognising the relevance of the past to current national and international issues and events.

It is clear, therefore, that geographical and historical awareness skills will be necessary to achieve the required outcomes. Overall, I am in favour of leaving the decision on what is offered at the discretion of the school and of students having as broad a range of options to choose from as possible. This issue will be taken forward in the discussions on implementation with the partners in education.

See this speech in context