Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McConalogue for his good wishes. I am sure we will have much engagement in the future.

I am committed to reform of the junior certificate to ensure our young students have a programme and an assessment framework that best serves their interests. This reform is best pursued through dialogue and consultation with all stakeholders so the maximum degree of consensus on the reform agenda can be developed.

The introduction of the junior cycle has been slowed down considerably following consultations with all of the partners in education. Phased implementation of junior cycle reform will commence this September with only one subject being changed, English. For those students sitting the junior cycle student award in 2017, only English will be different. All other subjects will be as they are now.

New specifications for the remaining subjects will be introduced on a phased basis between now and September 2019. The junior cycle for teachers support service has seen a highly positive response to its continuing professional development programmes not only in the last academic year, but also from the registration data available for the coming academic year. Up to 4,814 English teachers attended continuing professional development during 2013 and 2014, that is, 90% of English teachers registered with the junior cycle for teachers support service; 5,385 English teachers have registered for the forthcoming school year 2014-15; some 1,690 science teachers across 371 schools have registered with the junior cycle for teachers support service; 1,240 school leaders attended the junior cycle for teachers support service school leadership seminars during 2013-14; and 509 schools have, to date, requested the junior cycle for teachers support service to facilitate junior cycle whole-school continuing professional development during 2014-15.

It is clear a significant number of our schools, their teachers and their leaders, are interested in implementing the new framework. In addition, new members are being added to the junior cycle for teachers support service team this autumn. A deputy director for assessment has been appointed, as has a team of six full-time members, to address whole-school continuing professional development. This team will be supported by 60 to 80 associates who will be recruited in the autumn to work part-time on whole-school development.

Notwithstanding this, I am eager that all voices in education are heard on the matter of junior cycle reform and I am anxious to have a meaningful dialogue with teacher unions on this vital issue. I have also asked my officials to continue to have discussions with the partners on junior cycle reform. A report of the working group, established by my predecessor to enable discussion to take place, was published in May. This report indicated some progress has been achieved and many constructive proposals have been made, particularly by the management-patron bodies, which will inform the discussions. I look forward to receiving similar written submissions from the teacher unions. There is clearly further work to be done to achieve all necessary elements of the reform. Without a written submission from teachers, it is not possible to have a balanced debate, representing their views alongside those of the other partners.

The provision of quality education with its emphasis on skills development and of assessing to improve learning is key to engaging our young people in a meaningful education that relates to their lives, to their experiences and to the opportunities that surround them. The junior cycle should be about learning to learn. Most of all, however, it should be about motivating our young people with the expectations and aspirations they can achieve and progress with confidence, full of creativity and innovation, into their senior cycle. It is essential we begin this work as soon as possible.

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