Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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94. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to review the transition year programme to include practical life skills as part of the compulsory requirement across all schools: personal legal rights, household management, personal finance, taxation and social welfare and the driver theory test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40202/25]

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We have a great secondary education system. It is one of the cornerstones of our success as a nation. However, given it is largely academically-based, we need to look at ways of bringing life skills to our children that will better prepare them for the real world.

In particular, I refer to the transition year programme. This is a great programme which offers students an opportunity to learn new skills. Can it be extended to cover more aspects of daily life that will benefit our children as they enter adult life?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Transition year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities to develop future life skills for personal, social and academic development and to experience other aspects of adult and working life. Transition year can bring a unique and important value in the life of students.

Each school designs its own transition year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, schools are advised to take into consideration students' needs, parents' views, employers and the wider interests of the local community.

As part of the redevelopment of senior cycle programme, a new transition year programme statement was published in September 2024, which provides schools with a framework for developing their own bespoke transition year programmes.

Over the 2024-2025 school year, all schools had the opportunity to audit their current transition year offering and revise it, where necessary, in line with the updated programme statement. The new programme statement now applies to programmes commencing in the next school year, 2025-2026, across all schools.

Sixty thousand students will avail of transition year. There is a real opportunity, which had not existed in the past, to make sure that what they are doing in that time is as effective and supportive as possible for them, and in some of the ways the Deputy outlined.

The programme statement sets out four student dimensions as the core foundations upon which transition year programmes should be designed. The four student dimensions centre on personal growth, being a learner, civic and community engagement, and career development, respectively. The being-a-learner dimension, in particular, offers the opportunity for schools to offer additional learning experiences to transition year, TY, students, including life skills and literacy and numeracy initiatives.

The programme statement continues to offer schools a significant level of autonomy while placing more structure on the design of transition year programmes.

What would be helpful, at this stage, given it is a new statement for transition year and that so many more students are doing it now, is that there would be a review at a certain point to see exactly what type of programmes and what type of modules schools are using, how effective they are and how students are responding to them. That could inform any changes that might need to be made.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will mention in particular some items that should be included, for example, knowledge of finance and how to manage finance. This is important as it affects everyone. It should cover understanding of income tax and all other taxes. It should also educate about loans and mortgages and explain the difference between different types of loans. Second, it should include legal education and understanding of one's legal rights. It should also include how the political system works, how democracy and elections are conducted and the difference between Departments and local authorities. It should also educate our young on the political systems all over the world and the whole are of critical thinking.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I fully support what the Deputy is suggesting, in that we provide students with life skills. These are skills that we all need at certain stages, whether moving into our own home, setting up a new business or exploring different opportunities. Transition year, in a way unlike the rest of the curriculum, is a real opportunity to be able to explore those different avenues.

There is a set of guidelines but it is still open to every school to choose whether or not they could apply those certain type of modules that the Deputy has mentioned. Until we have a full review and see exactly how schools are now applying the new structure and system, we will not be able to see exactly how many are partaking in some of those areas.

I will ask my Department to look at how we can review the changes that are taking place and get a better understanding of what type of modules the 60,000 students are taking up, how effective they are and whether there is more that we can do to encourage these type of modules in the transition year programme.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will list some other items but the list is not exhaustive. Many schools run the mini-company programme in conjunction with the student enterprise programme supported by the local enterprise offices but this programme is only offered to a limited number of students in schools. Could we offer a programme to all students on the following: the skills and steps required in setting up a business; the driver theory test; online safety and the risks and benefits of the online world; and communication, including both verbal and written skills? People who have real-world experience in the above-mentioned areas could contribute to many of these programmes. They could also offer an element of mentoring to young people and bridge the gap between the school and world they live in and the realities they will face when they become adults.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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First, in terms of driver theory but, more broadly, road safety, it is something we really have to focus in on for transition year. Last October, there was collaboration between my Department and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, where they developed a specific programme, Road Safety Matters. It was launched to help students become safer road users. The programme, which has been developed by the RSA, is also supported by An Garda Síochána and officially sponsored by Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances. This is specifically for transition year students. It is specifically acknowledging that there is maybe greater flexibility in the time available to support students in understanding the rules of the road but, most importantly, making sure they are safe drivers when they go about their theory test and when they start to drive. They learn the importance of sharing the road, developing the knowledge and skills and values and qualities to prepare them as road users as well. In the past year or so, while we have made significant progress in reducing the number of road deaths, we have started to see an incline in the other way. The earlier we can engage with young people to make sure they are use roads safely, the better.

More broadly, on the issues the Deputy raised around the life skills, we have a real opportunity now that nearly every student is able to avail of transition year to make sure they are learning real practical skills. The review that I have mentioned will, hopefully, identify where that is happening.