Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined senior cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their senior cycle experience. There are three clear objective. It will empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century; enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system; and embed well-being and reduce student stress levels.

Considerable work has been ongoing regarding senior cycle redevelopment in the Department, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA and the SEC, in particular since the March announcement. Officials in the Department have engaged with key stakeholders on senior cycle redevelopment including providing a number of online information sessions to parents. Subject background papers have been prepared for the two new subjects of drama, film and theatre studies and climate action and sustainable development; as well as for business. The NCCA has a public consultation under way in respect of those subjects which closes at the end of October. The subject development groups within the NCCA, through which the new and revised curriculums will be developed, have been convened and the first meetings have been held. I have asked the SEC to undertake an evaluation of the 2022 experience of holding oral and music practical examinations at Easter so as to inform our approach in subsequent years. The NCCA and the SEC are in the process of commissioning research in relation to the weighting, composition and moderation of teacher-based assessment components.

Our next immediate steps include preparing to launch the process through which schools will be invited to become network schools. Those schools will support the introduction of the new and revised subjects in fifth year in September 2024. The planning necessary to hold paper 1 in Irish and English at the end of the fifth year from summer 2023 has also commenced. In addition, from the start of the current school year students pursuing the leaving certificate applied, LCA programme have been able to access maths from the established programme and those pursuing the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, programme are no longer required to satisfy subject specific criteria to be eligible for the programme. These are the first steps that will ultimately lead to a more integrated leaving certificate available to all students.

Work has also commenced within the NCCA’s structures in regard to the production of a revised transition year programme statement and the development of L1 and L2 learning programmes to provide for continuity from equivalent level programmes at junior cycle level.

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