John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 57: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the sharp drop that takes place in female participation in sport at senior cycle; the programmes which are in place to increase the participation of women in sport at primary and second level; if her attention has further been drawn to the Title IX funding law in the United States which covers all educational activities including sport; if she will examine the possibility of introducing similar legislation here to level the playing field; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7946/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am aware of the decline in female participation in sports that seems to occur around the age of 14 years. This situation is not unique to Ireland; it is common internationally. The drop in female participation in PE at leaving certificate level is a source of concern. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children and other bodies such as the National Sports Council, is examining ways to address this. Inter-departmental co-operation is important on this issue given the Department of Health and Children's health promotion function and its role in convincing young women of the benefits of exercise.

It is important within the curriculum to ensure that sports and physical education is available within all schools. It is government policy to encourage and promote sport for all in schools. The policy of my Department is to facilitate this by means of a broad and balanced physical education curriculum for schools at primary and post-primary levels.

At primary level, physical education is one of the seven curriculum areas within the primary school curriculum which was revised in 1999. A minimum of one hour of physical education per week is recommended for all primary school pupils. The curriculum has been structured so as to allow individual schools a high degree of flexibility and choice in the planning of a broad and balanced physical education programme for pupils and includes six broad strands featuring athletics, dance, gymnastics, games, outdoor and adventure activities and aquatics. Implementation of the PE curriculum in primary schools is being supported by an in-service training programme for teachers over 2004/5 and 2005/6.

Second level schools should offer a physical education programme based on an approved syllabus with teaching hours registered on the school timetable. The time recommended for physical education is two hours per week. The phasing in of a revised syllabus for physical education at junior cycle began in September 2003. The syllabi both at primary and second level have been developed on the understanding that facilities available in schools vary. Consequently, they offer flexibility regarding the physical activities undertaken so that each individual school can design a programme that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to the school.

In addition to the above, schools in Ireland have a strong tradition of developing sport outside the school timetable, and sports organisations such as the GAA, FAI, Basketball Ireland, the Irish Sports Council and local sports partnerships provide extensive opportunities for schools to participate in sport.

Title IX is a United States federal law that requires almost all elementary, secondary schools, colleges and universities to provide equitable educational opportunities to male and female students, including within their sports programmes. Within Ireland, the Equality Act 2004 and the Equal Status Act 2000 guarantee that individuals will not be discriminated against on account of their gender. Educational institutions are obliged to comply with the terms of those Acts. I do not consider that additional legislation is required.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 58: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will report on the papers presented to her by the NCCA at the end of January 2005; and if she will be acting upon the recommendations contained therein. [7950/05]

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 121: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received and will publish the NCCA report on changes to the structure and content of the leaving certificate examination; if she has given consideration to any of the proposals contained therein; if she has considered the wage and staff implications of such changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7964/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 121 together.

Initial advice on the reform of the senior cycle was submitted by the NCCA to my Department in June 2004 and it indicated that a further advice would be submitted early in 2005 setting out the configuration of subjects, short courses and options, and the assessment and implementation implications of the proposals. That second advice, which will enable my Department to assess the resource and operational implications of the proposals, has not yet been received.

The NCCA proposals set out a vision for the type of school system which might exist by 2010. The proposals envisage a re-structured senior cycle curriculum consisting of transition units, short courses and subjects. The option of a two or three year cycle would be retained and the leaving certificate applied programme would continue as a discrete programme. All pupils, including LCA pupils, would follow at least one transition unit and many pupils would take a greater number.

The proposals provide also for an increased emphasis on a wider range of modes of assessment such as practical/portfolio/project work and with more frequent assessment events. However, as with the present system, assessment will continue to be predominantly on the basis of examinations which are externally set and externally marked. This is in keeping with international trends in high stakes examinations.

Overall the proposals set out a long-term vision for fundamental reform in senior cycle provision which will have significant policy, resource, professional development, staffing, assessment, equipment and infrastructural implications for the education system into the future. These issues must all be explored thoroughly before a decision on implementation can be made. The receipt of the NCCA's second advice, which is not expected to be finalised until after Easter, is an important step in that process of analysis, and detailed costings of resource implications have not been prepared by my Department in the interim.

I am aware of the issues which emerged in the NCCA's public consultation process and research on the future of senior cycle in Ireland, and of the continuing dialogue which is being undertaken through the NCCA's collaborative structures in finalising the second stage of its advice to me. I look forward to receiving that advice at an early date and to giving it careful and thorough consideration.

We must ensure that, as our education system continues to evolve in the knowledge society, reforms build on the existing strengths of the system while addressing its weaknesses. We need reforms that are designed to ensure that our system has integrity, relevance and quality for all our students, including those that are currently served well and those whose needs are not being as well met at present. It is important to ensure that any reform of senior cycle, first, preserves confidence in the system and maintains the strengths of the existing leaving certificate in terms of objectivity, integrity and public and employer confidence and, second, achieves the right balance between structured and independent learning for students.