Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in implementing junior certificate reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20664/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment provided its advice to me on Junior Cycle Reform in late 2011. Since then, consideration has been ongoing in relation to the implementation of reform.

Reform will be introduced on a phased basis. All of the existing subjects are being continued, and Irish (except where there is an exemption), English and Mathematics will remain core subjects.

To start with, a revised syllabus in English will be implemented as a first step in the process, for students beginning junior cycle in 2014, for first examination in 2017. Groups of subjects will be implemented each year after that. Schools will also have the option of providing locally developed short courses of 100 hours, supported by exemplars developed by the NCCA.

A cap of 8 is being placed on the number of subjects which can be taken for examination purposes, to apply on a mandatory basis from the 2017 examination. Into the future, students will be able to take 8 subjects or 7 subjects with 2 short courses or 6 subjects and 4 short courses. Subjects will be assessed by means of a written examination set and marked by SEC, and a portfolio marked by the class teacher in the school, moderated by the school and subject to external moderation on a sample basis by SEC. Short course will be assessed in the school.