Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the range of supports including the number of Aistear tutors and the number of in-service training hours facilitated through the teacher training centres that have been provided to date to primary school teachers to upskill in relation to the implementation of the Aistear curriculum for infant classes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13479/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Aistear is Ireland's curriculum framework for children from birth to six years. The framework can be used in a range of early childhood settings including children's own homes. It reflects recent developments in understanding how children learn and grow in their early years. These developments include the importance of play as well as a balance between adult-led and child-led activities. Aistear can help teachers to prioritise play and active learning in implementing the curriculum for infant classes in primary schools.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently revising the infant curriculum. This work focuses initially on the language area (English and Irish) and will be ready for schools in September 2014. The Council is also currently undertaking a review of how the curriculum in the initial stage of primary education is structured and organised in other jurisdictions. This together with Aistear's principles and teaching approaches, will inform the revision of the infant level of the curriculum.

Since the 2010/2011 school year and through a collaboration between the NCCA and the Association of Teachers' Education Centres in Ireland (ATECI), work has been underway to support primary school teachers and principals in becoming familiar with the key ideas in Aistear. This support is provided primarily through a suite of Aistear workshops developed and facilitated by Aistear Tutors (primary school teachers) within the 21 full-time Education Centres throughout the country. Up to the end of 2012 a total of 322 two hour workshops provided support to 5,977 teachers and principals. In addition, a total of 827 teachers were supported through 38 Aistear summer courses in 2011 and 2012.

The online Aistear Toolkit developed by the NCCA, is a key support to the Aistear Tutors and Education Centres in this work. The Toolkit contains video clips, photos, podcasts and audio presentations that show what Aistear looks like in practice across a range of settings including infant classes in primary schools. A number of Education Centres have established, or are in the process of establishing, Aistear Teacher Professional Communities (TPCs). These TPCs enable teachers to meet to share their classroom experiences in using Aistear's principles and methodologies, and to learn from each other.