Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Smyth that evaluation is important. We need to know that the initiatives being rolled out in the pilot programme are doing what they are supposed to do, and that children and young people are enjoying them as well as there being longer term benefits for children and young people, and also for teachers and creative practitioners. The Arts Council is working on a formal process of evaluation of the Creative Schools initiative with assistance from the various Departments. The Department of Education and Skills has also built in formal education processes into the other initiatives. We will examine the outcomes of the evaluations in order to help us ascertain what works and what needs to be changed as we move forward with the programme.

Deputy Smyth also mentioned the Arts in Education charter. Creative Youth builds on the education charter. The actions in the Creative Youth plan extend to both the formal and non-formal education sectors that are being delivered by my Department, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Arts Council. This plan builds on the Arts in Education charter and aims to resource, fast-track and implement the objectives of the charter, as well as roll out a range of other initiatives.

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