Results 3,721-3,740 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Does Dr. Fiorentini want to add to that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Briefly, if you would.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank Senator Flynn and call Senator Mullen.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I will allow an opportunity for a brief response. A piece of correspondence was referenced. In fairness to the witnesses, the members of the committee have had the benefit of seeing that piece of correspondence. The first question is are the witnesses aware of that correspondence and have they had the opportunity to-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Very good. In that case, will they briefly address Senator Mullen’s questions?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I might allow the witnesses to answer. I have already given substantial leeway.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We will take the answers.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Senator Mullen might come back in, if it is suitable. I will ask my own questions now. I thank the NCCA in particular. I have had the opportunity to sit with its representatives already and discuss the draft specifications. I thank them for that opportunity. I spent 15 years up close and personal with the 1999 curriculum. I will be very sorry to see it go. I think it was an excellent...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is still a substantial amount of time within the curriculum but it is reduced. I wanted to circle around on some of Deputy Farrell's questions on the teaching of the Irish language and the reduction of teaching time for that. I understand the Gaelige Neamhfhoirmiúil and I was a devil for the Gaelige Neamhfhoirmiúil myself. Are we benchmarking our progress in terms of T2...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We might not benchmark against CEFR and we might not be saying we are setting out for a B2 standard or whatever else. Are we, though, benchmarking in terms of language outcomes, aside from the CEFR?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am sorry for interrupting, but I am very much aware of it and know it went through a couple of editions. The big fold-out one was the original, which did not go down terribly well. I am going to come back to my point. Are we internationally benchmarking? Are we saying that Dutch kids, for example, come out with this level of English at age 12 and Irish kids come out with this level of...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Are those standardised tests not used only in T1 schools?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I do not know of any T2 Irish language schools where-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Are they similar to the Micra-T or Drumcondra tests?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I want to talk a little about science. I have a little bit of a worry about how we are aligning science with mathematics and technology. I will talk about science as three subjects. As it splits out into the leaving certificate, science becomes physics, chemistry and biology. I am concerned with where we are placing science, which is within the engineering, technology and mathematics...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We would have a friction in our views, let us say. We should have a clear idea that children coming through the Irish education system will know about their Stone Age peoples. In the context of migration and the debate around migration, people in Waterford should be saying we that had Stone Age peoples here, then the Vikings founded the city, then the Normans came in and then the Huguenots...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It probably did not amount to a question. I do not know what I would call it if I were being charitable to myself. I will give another three minutes. I will be strict on that because we are going into a second session at 12.30 p.m. Senator Flynn has three minutes to put questions to the witnesses.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I said I would be strict with the three minutes, so we will take the Senator's contribution as a statement.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: To be fair to the Department, I think that might be a matter of policy as opposed to-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on the Draft Curriculum Specifications at Primary Level: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It would be a direction. I call Senator Mullen.