Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 123: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will identify schools where the provision of arts needs to be upgraded; if she is will install a programme to provide recent arts graduates a contract to work in these schools, to ensure that every child has access to arts during school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36710/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Arts education (visual arts, music and drama) is one of the seven curriculum areas that comprise the primary curriculum, which was revised in 1999. Therefore all primary school children have access to an arts programme. At second level there are approved syllabuses for Junior Certificate in Music and Art, Craft and Design. In the senior cycle there are syllabuses in Music and Art. Modules in the Arts are also available as part of the Leaving Certificate Applied. In the Transition Year programme, schools offer a variety of modules which stimulate pupils' interest in the Arts in general and which, in many cases, give them the opportunity to interact with practising artists in their own classrooms and in other contexts. In addition to supporting curricular provision for the arts at primary and second level, my Department aids the arts through the provision of some 68,000 teaching hours to a number of schools of music operated by VECs and through co-operation (teaching) hours to VECs which support work with other institutions. In addition, two Music Education Partnerships are funded in Donegal and Dublin City VECs. A further initiative in Music for young people of school age will shortly be launched by Music Generation, a subsidiary company of Music Network, supported by donations from U2 and the Ireland Funds. The Artists in School Guidelines, developed jointly by the Arts Council and my Department, and issued to all schools in 2006, are an important resource in informing schools of how best to plan, implement and evaluate partnerships with local artists and organisations which will provide stimulating and interesting learning experiences for children. This type of initiative could be further strengthened through work experience programmes in schools for arts graduates. The Public Service Agreement 2010-14 provides that there will be full support in the Civil Service and State agencies for programmes and initiatives to support and assist the unemployed, including the FÁS Work Placement Programme. It should be noted that the FAS scheme is structured on the basis of applications being made to FAS directly by those offering a work placement. The programme has been made available to VECs and higher education institutions. Arrangements for schools to participate in the programme are currently under consideration.