Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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990. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why a concession made to teachers on having projects which are at a current level of 50% or over the final grade, retained within certification, but not so for all the other subjects, resulting in subjects such as art and woodwork having projects for certification, but others such as english and history will not have same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22144/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The "Joint Statement on Principles and Implementation" provides that, in the case of a small number of subjects (Art, Music, Home Economics and the Technology subjects), the second Classroom Based Assessment (CBA) will involve the creation of an artifact or a performance. The formative assessment related to the production of these artefacts and performance will be reported upon by the school to the student and parents/guardians as for all other second CBAs. However, as the finished artefacts and performance are currently marked by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the artefact or performance will continue to be marked by the SEC.

It should be noted that for all other subjects the second CBA will have a formal written Assessment Task (AT) that is submitted to the SEC to be marked along with the terminal examination in the subject for State Certification purposes. The AT will be based on the topic or task undertaken in the second CBA. This means that, following the CBA facilitated by the teacher, the students will complete a written AT in class time which will not be marked by their class teacher, but will be sent for external marking as part of the State Certified examination for that subject.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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991. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why her Department is insisting on referring to the proposed school based components as 40% of the total student award at the end of third year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22145/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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You will be aware that the leadership of the two post primary teacher unions, the ASTI and TUI, reached an agreement with me on Junior Cycle reform. Our agreement was set out in our joint document "Junior Cycle Reform: Joint Statement on Principles and Implementation" published on the 22nd of May 2015.

In section 2 the document outlines a dual approach, with the introduction of two structured classroom-based assessment components facilitated by teachers. For these Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) teachers will be able to select from a range of tasks appropriate to their subject set by the NCCA in consultation with the SEC. After the second of these, students will complete a written Assessment Task (AT) on what they have learned and the skills and competencies that they have developed in that assessment. This Assessment Task, along with the terminal examination at the end of third year, will be marked by the State Examinations Commission.

This dual approach will recognise and value the different types of learning that take place in schools, and will allow for a more rounded assessment of the education of each young person

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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992. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for the English school-based assessment for second year, as the teachers have boycotted the training; her views that this planned oral communication presentation runs contrary to teachers' principles of fairness and dignity in the classroom; if she is concerned about such matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22146/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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You will be aware that the leadership of the two post primary teacher unions, the ASTI and TUI, reached an agreement with me on Junior Cycle reform. Our agreement was set out in our joint document "Junior Cycle Reform: Joint Statement on Principles and Implementation" published on the 22nd of May 2015.

Under this agreement section 4.9 and 4.10 sets out the answer to the Deputy's question.

"It is recognised that teachers of English are the first cohort of teachers to engage directly with the Junior Cycle reform and that they will make a very particular contribution to the successful introduction of the new curriculum and assessment arrangements. The feedback from these teachers of English to date makes clear that they have particular CPD needs and that significant adjustments are required to the first Classroom-Based Assessments for English to be completed in Spring 2016.

In regard to the group of students currently in first year (in the 2014/15 school year), teachers and schools will have the option of having their students complete the first classroom-based component either in spring of 2016 (in second year) or early in autumn 2016 (in the beginning of third year). In view of the urgency of supporting these teachers in implementing the second year English course in the 2015/16 school year, immediate priority will be given to providing intensive CPD for this subject as well as whole-school CPD for Junior Cycle.

The CPD programme for English will be informed by appropriate input from these teachers.

The NCCA will specify a wider range of assessment options that will enable English teachers to ensure that the first Classroom-Based Assessment is manageable and appropriate to the learning needs of students".