Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the resources he has allocated to training teachers for implementation of the new junior certificate reforms. [10892/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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A new dedicated continuing professional development (CPD) service for schools - Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) was established in 2013. JCT commenced the roll-out of CPD events for both school leaders and teachers in November 2013. A range of resources and supports will also be made available online. A variety of CPD delivery methods will be employed including in-school CPD, some of which will be teacher-led, along with off-site workshops delivered by JCT. A multifaceted approach will be adopted, which will help promote professional dialogue and sharing of experiences among school leaders and teaching staff, and support schools in focussing on their own needs and aims, thereby allowing the CPD to impact more directly on teaching and learning in each school context.

English teachers will receive a minimum of 4.5 days of training or continuous professional development (CPD). All other subject teachers will receive a minimum of 4 days CPD for each subject. All schools will have the equivalent of one full day of CPD annually for each year of the roll-out of the JCSA. Schools can close to facilitate this CPD for all teaching staff. This will mean that for a teacher of two subjects, the total CPD received will be in the region of 16 days or its equivalent and even more for teachers of English. Substitution cover is provided to allow teachers to engage in these activities.

The CPD being planned by the JCT also builds on the substantial amount of CPD and resources already offered to English teachers and post-primary schools' literacy link teachers over the last 2 years by the PDST, which has been leading the delivery of CPD related to the literacy and numeracy strategy. The reforms arising from the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, including literacy and numeracy development, school self-evaluation and junior cycle, are closely aligned and interlinked; CPD and improvements in one area should impact across the others at school level.

The supports for the new Junior Cycle, including ICT supports, are currently being discussed with the education stakeholders

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of any costing or feasibility studies undertaken for the new junior certificate programmes. [10893/14]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of supports and supervision that will be available to teachers on introduction of the new junior certificate reforms. [10894/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 113 together.

The new Junior Cycle is based on the advice provided by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment which, in turn, was based on a range of research carried out for it.

The NCCA documentation on junior cycle development was in part based, among other sources, on the commissioned research reports from the ESRI's longitudinal study of the experience of students in post-primary schooling and beyond, in particular the volumes Moving Up: The experiences of First Year Students in Post-Primary School Pathways through the Junior Cycle Gearing Up for the Exam; The Experience of Junior Certificate Students No Way Back?; The Dynamics of Early School Leaving Choices and Challenges: Moving from Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle; Education Behind the Scenes? A Study of Parental Involvement in Post-Primary Education. A commissioned research study on 'Wellbeing and Post-Primary Schooling: A review of the literature and research' by Dr. Maeve O'Brien and the Human Development Team of St. Patrick's College, Dublin. A commissioned research study on international experiences of Standardised Testing in Lower Secondary Education by the Educational Research Centre, Dublin. A commissioned research report from on Curriculum Structures and Stages in Education: Audit of Policy Across Jurisdictions by the National Foundation for Educational Research (UK).

In addition, the background work on NCCA documentation involved investigation of international developments in lower secondary education in the OECD countries and specifically in countries/jurisdictions such as Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Finland, Canada and Australia.

It is true than I have gone further than the NCCA advice in relation to assessment. I made this decision having considered international best practice.

As the Deputy is aware, my officials are currently engaged in intensive discussions with the education stakeholders on the resources and the detailed modalities in relation to workload and implementation issues for schools and teachers; quality assurance and teacher assessment and for CPD to support implementation. I do not wish to pre-empt the results of these discussions.

I expect to receive a detailed report on these issues from the National Working Group in May.

However, the deputy should note that CPD is currently being rolled out to English teachers and school leaders. €4.8 m was provided for the reform of Junior Cycle in Budget 2014.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the provision that has been made for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to implement reform of the junior certificate curriculum. [10895/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The object of the NCCA, as set out in section 41 (1) (a) and (b) of the Education Act 1998, is to advise me on matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects that are part of the curriculum.

It is the Department's role to oversee the implementation of the reform of the Junior Cycle. My Department established an Education Partners Consultation Group in September 2012 to provide all the education stakeholders with a formal medium for assisting in the planning of the phased implementation of the Junior Cycle.

Bi-lateral meetings have been held between Union representatives and senior Department officials since Autumn of 2013.

I established a National Working Group on Junior Cycle Reform in January this year. The Working Group, with its three sub groups, provides a forum where the concerns of the partners are heard. Assessment, CPD and resources are the three key areas being addressed. Through currently ongoing dialogue, the concerns are being raised and will be addressed so as to enable the successful implementation of the Junior Cycle to proceed over the next number of years.

I have asked that a report be provided to me by mid-May on the findings of the National Working Group.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the professional advice, best practice or research on which he has based his reforms of the junior certificate programme. [10896/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The new Junior Cycle is based on the advice provided by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment which, in turn, was based on a range of research carried out for it.

The NCCA documentation on junior cycle development was in part based, among other sources, on the following sources.

It was based on the commissioned research reports from the ESRI's longitudinal study of the experience of students in post-primary schooling and beyond, in particular the volumes Moving Up: The experiences of First Year Students in Post-Primary School Pathways through the Junior Cycle Gearing Up for the Exam: The Experience of Junior Certificate Students No Way Back? The Dynamics of Early School Leaving Choices and Challenges: Moving from Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle Education Behind the Scenes? A Study of Parental Involvement in Post-Primary Education.

It was based on a commissioned research study on 'Wellbeing and Post-Primary Schooling: A review of the literature and research' by Dr. Maeve O'Brien and the Human Development Team of St. Patrick's College, Dublin.

It was based on a commissioned research study on international experiences of Standardised Testing in Lower Secondary Education by the Educational Research Centre, Dublin.

It was based on a commissioned research report from on Curriculum Structures and Stages in Education: Audit of Policy Across Jurisdictions by the National Foundation for Educational Research (UK).

In addition, the background work on NCCA documentation involved investigation of international developments in lower secondary education in the OECD countries and specifically in countries/jurisdictions such as Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Finland, Canada and Australia.