Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:welcomes ‘A Framework for junior cycle’ which was launched by the Minister for Education and Skills on 4 October 2012;

notes that the new junior cycle programme will provide for a broader education for students including:

— a greater flexibility for schools to develop their own programmes to meet the needs and interests of their students;

— a focus on improving students’ learning experiences through a change in approach to curriculum and assessment;

— a new school-based model of assessment to replace the junior certificate which will measure the full range of students’ abilities; and

— a phased approach to implementation,

starting with the introduction of English and short courses for students entering post-primary education in 2014;

notes the commitment given by the Minister to fully resource the changes required for implementation, including continuing professional development for principals and teachers;

urges all stakeholders to co-operate in the implementation of these reforms;

welcomes the emphasis in the junior cycle on improving the quality of learning experiences and educational outcomes for students; and

supports the ambition to put the needs of Ireland’s young people at the centre of the second-level education system.

Why is change necessary? In late 2011, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, advised me on making changes at junior cycle in its report, Towards A Framework for Junior Cycle. Research underlines the reasons change is necessary. Under the current model, a significant number of first year students do not make progress, particularly in English and mathematics. A significant number of students in second year become disengaged from the learning process and find it almost impossible to reconnect to learning subsequently. Choices made as early as first year of junior cycle, for example, to take ordinary rather than higher level, are almost impossible to reverse. These choices can limit the options open to young people for the leaving certificate and even after leaving school. This is a particularly important issue for students in lower stream classes and those in disadvantaged schools.

In third year, the junior certificate examination dominates the experiences of students. The focus of learning narrows, the emphasis is on rote learning and for many students the examination does not lead to positive learning experiences and outcomes. We also know that assessment practice at the end of junior cycle is out of line with best practice in many countries with high performing educational systems. For example, in New Zealand, Finland, Scotland, the Netherlands and Queensland high-stakes, public examinations are confined to the end of the senior cycle, in other words, when young people are around 18 years of age. These countries emphasise school based assessment approaches throughout the lower secondary cycle. School based assessment approaches have been adopted because research shows that the learning experience of students is narrowed if an assessment system is restricted to assessing them through external examinations and testing. This occurs because both teachers and students focus on learning what is necessary to do well in final examinations, rather than on pursuing an educational programme designed to meet students' needs.

I considered the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's advice, as set out in its document, Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle. Its approach was developed following an extensive consultation process with parents, students, teachers, school managers and the wider public. I have accepted much of the advice in the document for my framework for junior cycle. I am aware that staff of the NCCA may come to the Gallery later. I pay tribute to the team led by Ms Anne Looney who have been instrumental in developing these reforms.

In the strategy on literacy and numeracy which I launched in July 2011, I highlighted that reform of the junior cycle would provide an important opportunity to improve literacy and numeracy standards at junior cycle. This reform will achieve this objective in a number of ways. It will create time for schools to focus on literacy and numeracy, embed literacy and numeracy in learning outcomes for all subjects and short courses and allow schools to tailor junior cycle programmes which meet the specific needs of their student cohort.

The framework I have adopted is underpinned by eight principles, namely, quality; well-being; creativity and innovation; choice and flexibility; engagement and participation; inclusive education; continuity and development; and learning to learn. In addition to literacy and numeracy, six other key skills will be embedded in the learning experiences and outcomes of every junior cycle subject and short course. These are: literacy and numeracy; managing myself and staying well; communicating; being creative; working with others; and managing information and thinking.

The learning at the core of the new junior cycle is described in 24 statements of learning. These focus on what students should know, understand, value and be able to do at the end of junior cycle, having fully engaged with and participated in the junior cycle programme of their school. All students will be required to cover the 24 statements of learning which are focused on areas such as communications; language; mathematical concepts; critical thinking; citizenship and sustainable values; environmental, economic and social knowledge; consumer skills; information and communications technology, ICT; creating and appreciating art; valuing local and national heritage and recognising the relevance of the past to the current national and international issues; well-being; and ethical and responsible decision-making.

I welcome the fact that the syllabus design for each subject and short course will follow set specifications. They will set out not only the knowledge to be acquired, but also the skills and attitudes that students will develop. The syllabus specifications will be accompanied by detailed examples of how students should be able to demonstrate their learning in order that teachers will be supported fully in enabling students to achieve the objectives of the curriculum. Revised syllabus specifications will be prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on a phased basis to enable schools to absorb the changes in a managed fashion.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment will also prepare seven short courses for 2014, namely, civic, social and political education, CSPE; social, personal and health education, SPHE; physical education; digital media literacy; artistic performance; Chinese; and programming and coding. It will be open to schools to develop their own short courses reflecting their local needs and in line with the NCCA template. The framework also provides for priority learning units for students with special education needs. There will also be one centrally developed short course on a personal project for such students.

As schools design their programme for junior cycle, they must be mindful of the principles, key skills and statements of learning. However, it is important to emphasise the flexibility that will be available to schools. This flexibility will empower schools to meet the interests and needs of their students. It is important that the programme provided to students is not overloaded and will allow them to engage in quality learning experiences. In this context, there will be a limit to the number of subjects and short courses that will be included for certification purposes. Most students will study eight to ten subjects or equivalent for certification. A maximum of four short courses, each equivalent to half of one subject, may be included for school certification.

Not everything that is taught in schools will be for certification. In particular, schools will continue to make provision for guidance to students. This will relate to assisting students to acquire self-management skills so as to make effective choices and decisions about their lives. Provision for guidance will also continue to encompass the three separate but interlinked areas of personal and social development, educational guidance and career guidance.

Framework principles such as continuity and learning to learn, key skills such as managing myself and a number of the statements of learning, especially those linked to making decisions, will be useful in informing guidance provision. In accordance with current policy, schools will continue to have flexibility in deciding how they will make provision for guidance.

I am convinced that all the elements of the framework I have outlined constitute a major development for second level education. This is how we can accommodate difference and begin to address inequality in society.

Given the evidence available to me on assessment for this age group, I have decided to go beyond the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's advice on assessment. I want to ensure formative assessment becomes a key part of teaching and supports learning across the three years of junior cycle.

I also want teachers to provide high quality feedback to students and parents. The opportunity for such an approach to assessment is significant in situations where that assessment is no longer high stakes. In the junior certificate, we have a State examination that has all the arrangements and hallmarks of a high-stakes examination. As long ago as 1975, however, an official report commented that "for a large and increasing number of candidates, the [State examination at the end of junior cycle] is not necessary or useful as a qualification for jobs". The examination referred to was the intermediate certificate, which was replaced by the junior certificate examination, but the question is more relevant than ever.

The overwhelming majority of students completing the junior cycle go on to study at senior cycle or in other forms of education and training. A recent report from the Department noted that some 90% of our students now complete senior cycle. I welcome the fact that our retention rates continue to improve.

Real change only occurs in education when there is real change in assessment. This is what the evidence has been telling us for many years. For this reason, the best performing educational systems have placed assessment of learning at the lower secondary education level in the hands of schools, teachers and students. This is why we need to reform radically the way we assess students' learning in the junior cycle.

I want to liberate our teachers from narrow exam-based programmes. I want them to fulfil their potential as leaders of education learning. I want to put students at the heart of this change and to give them the opportunity to develop all of their skills and talents fully. To achieve this, we must ensure that assessment becomes a key part of teaching and learning across the three years of the junior cycle.

During the next eight years, I will phase out the traditional junior certificate examination. Students rather than subject examinations will be at the centre of the new approach to assessment. The junior certificate examination will be replaced with a school-based model of assessment. The shape of this has been covered extensively in the media, but I want to give the House an opportunity to consider my vision of how the new assessment arrangements will work.

They will embed assessment both for and of learning in the classroom and will involve schools and teachers in ongoing assessment of students' progress and achievement. Clear and unambiguous guidance for teachers on standards will be provided in the specifications for each syllabus. This will guide the assessment of students' progress and enable teachers to chart the next steps for each student's learning. Teachers will also have access to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA's assessment and moderation toolkit and continuing professional development, CDP, which I will refer to in more detail later.

Assessment in the new junior cycle will be based on evidence of learning coming from school work and a final written assessment. The school work component will be based on work completed by the student during second and third years and will be marked by the teacher in the school using a marking guide included in the specification for the subject. Generally, it will be worth 40% of the marks awarded to the student but may vary, depending on the subject content. The kinds of work involved will include assignments, projects, case studies, performances, oral activities, written pieces and tests of different kinds. Schools may use developments such as e-portfolios to enhance the changes that this school work component can provide. To support this, I have already convened an education and industry group to advise on how ICT can be used to enhance the junior cycle experience at school level.

The other part of assessment is the final assessment component. This will be a single written paper or assignment and will generally represent 60% of the marks. In the first few years of implementation, the papers will be set by the State Examination Commission, SEC, and made available in May of each year. The papers will be administered and, for the most part, corrected by teachers as part of their assessment of students. In the case of English, Irish and mathematics, the papers will be corrected by the SEC during the transition period. The primary purpose of the certification at the end of the junior cycle will be to support learning over the three years. We must move beyond examinations to a process of generating evidence of learning and of sharing feedback.

The reporting system at the end of the junior cycle consists of two key elements, those being the school certificate and other learning experiences. The school certificate will give the grades achieved by students in the subjects and short courses taken for certification, those to which I have referred. There will also be an opportunity for the school to comment on the student's achievement and other learning experiences during the junior cycle, to provide advice on further development in respect of same and to comment on aspects such as attendance, personal and social development and learning dispositions that are not part of the certification process. Most importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the parent and student to comment. Parents will strongly support this system once they see how much additional information they will receive about their children's educational and personal development.

I assure the House that this is not a cost saving exercise. It is about ensuring that we do better and provide our young people with a quality learning experience that has positive educational outcomes. Nor is it about creating more work for teachers and principals. It is about changing the focus of the work in schools, moving it away from terminal examinations and putting the student and the student's learning at the centre of everything we do. It is not about doing more, but about doing better for students, parents and teachers.

I assure the House that I will secure the resources necessary to bring this vision to fruition. I will ensure that schools, their principals and teachers will be provided with the necessary CPD to enable them to implement the framework from the 2013-14 school year onwards. Dr. Pádraig Kirk, the CEO of County Louth Vocational Education Committee will be the director of the new dedicated CPD junior cycle team. The team will concentrate on the introduction and implementation of the framework for the junior cycle with a particular emphasis on assessment. The estimated cost is €3.6 million in 2013 and €8.7 million annually from 2014 to 2018. Resources have been set aside for this purpose.

The NCCA will begin to develop curriculum, standards and supports immediately. Not only will there be the subject and short course specifications but also an assessment and moderation toolkit. The specifications will include examples of student work that illustrate the standard of work expected from different kinds of students at different stages of the junior cycle. This will be augmented by the resources within the NCCA's assessment and moderation toolkit. Teachers, parents, students and the general public will have access to all of these materials. The SEC has begun planning for its phased withdrawal from junior cycle examinations. It will continue to provide papers and marking schemes to schools for all subjects into the medium term.

In addition to the supports for teachers that I have outlined, for quality assurance reasons and to determine national standards, I plan to introduce standardised testing in second year for all schools in English reading, mathematics and science and in Irish reading for Irish medium schools. These tests will provide a good independent indicator of student progress in the middle of the junior cycle programme. In addition, the results awarded on every school certificate will be sent to the Department, which will monitor the national and school patterns along with the results in the standardised testing of reading, mathematics and science. This monitoring will provide further quality assurance and identify any local or national anomaly. A report on overall trends will be published annually.

The Department will provide each school with a data profile arising from its statistical analysis that will advise the school of patterns in their data relative to national norms of achievement. The data profile will also provide schools with information on their patterns of achievement relative to schools with a similar school context. This data will help schools to refine their assessment and moderation practices. It will also be a valuable source of information for schools' self-evaluation processes. In the event of an unusual pattern of achievement in a particular school, the inspectorate will be advised and support and evaluation measures will be provided for the school.

Through a commitment to the implementation of all aspects of the framework, the education system will be able to deliver a junior cycle that places the needs of students at the core of teaching and learning. The comprehensive implementation of the framework will improve the quality of the learning experiences and outcomes of all students. This will require leadership and support, not only from the Department of Education and Skills, NCCA and SEC, but in particular from school management.

It will also require the commitment of teachers, the support of parents and high expectations for all students. The skills and abilities of our young people are the key to Ireland's success in the future. Our young people can only fully realise their potential if we give them the tools they need and that is what this process will do.

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