Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

): I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills.

I welcome the opportunity to explain to this House the Department's position on this subject. I am aware that Council of Europe Recommendation 1880 on history teaching in conflict and post conflict areas articulates the need for it to contribute to greater understanding, tolerance and trust in society. I am also aware of Senator Keaveney's interest in this question. In fact the question was discussed briefly at a meeting of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement with the Ministers for Education, North and South on 4 February this year, dealing with North South co-operation in education. Council of Europe Recommendation 1880 makes a series of recommendations on how to teach history from a multi-perspective viewpoint, increasing access within schools to primary sources, developing an appreciation of the "other", promoting mutual understanding and investing in teacher training. The recommendations will be referred to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and will inform its ongoing review of curricula and programmes in schools.

It must be acknowledged that the teaching of history has changed dramatically in our schools. The history programmes at primary, junior cycle and leaving certificate now place a key focus on the skills of working as a historian, using evidence from a variety of sources, appreciating cause and effect and developing empathy. An important emphasis is placed on appreciating a range of perspectives and realising that evidence can be interpreted in a number of different ways.

Students learn how to locate and select historical information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, and examine it critically, detecting gaps, inconsistencies and bias, again appreciating that evidence may be open to more than one interpretation. This is reinforced in the leaving certificate, where history is assessed based on a written terminal examination and a report on a research study.

The research study allows students to select a topic of historical significance, locate and select primary and secondary sources, evaluate their relevance and prepare an extended essay setting out their planning and approach to the study, and their findings and conclusions. A documents-based study forms part of the written examination.

The History Teachers' Association of Ireland is actively involved in keeping Irish teachers in contact with new developments in historical research, and with international thinking in this area through affiliation with Euroclio and other international bodies. The association has also been active in promoting study visits to Northern Ireland. The Scoilnet website provides over 1,000 links to primary and secondary sources for history, tied in to topics in the curriculum. This includes looking at history through the RTE archives, discovering women in history and links to libraries and archives throughout Ireland. There is also a guide for teachers in using the Internet as a teaching tool, and exploring the Internet using authoritative sites for history. The digital archives of The Irish Times, running from 1859 to date are also made available free to schools.

Our history curriculum has moved away considerably from the regurgitation of facts and events to one where the focus is on using evidence, detecting bias, critical reflection and evaluation, and is, I believe, in keeping with best international practice. I know the NCCA will continue to monitor developments in this important area.

Senator Keaveney also asks what efforts will be made to have this report discussed at a North South Ministerial Council meeting. I take this opportunity to explain that the Department formally engages with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland at ministerial level on co-operation issues under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council in four main areas: special education needs, educational underachievement, teacher mobility and school and youth exchanges.

This is due to the provisions of the Belfast and St. Andrew's Agreements which designate the specific sectoral areas for North-South co-operation. At meetings of the North South Ministerial Council in educational sector format, there is an opportunity in the context of opening remarks by Ministers for a general discussion about other issues in the sphere of education that may be of mutual interest, North and South. The Minister would be happy to raise this issue in this way at a future meeting of the Council. In that context, I expect the issue would also be of interest to the Northern Ireland education Minister.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter.