Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide new courses in the leaving certificate, such as coding, physical education and politics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18726/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the need to focus on the future needs, abilities and capacity of students. The Government is committed to enhancing the availability of technology in schools through the introduction of ICT/Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate subject and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has been asked to consider options in this regard.

Physical Education is being developed by the NCCA as a full subject that can be assessed as a Leaving Certificate subject in a manner similar to other subjects. Also, a Senior Cycle Physical Education framework is being designed to provide schools with a framework within which they can design a P.E. programme for those students who may not choose to take P.E. as part of their Leaving Certificate examination.

A new subject specification for Politics and Society will be introduced in September 2016 to a selected cohort of over 40 schools, following an open invitation to introduce this as an optional Leaving Certificate subject. Politics and Society aims to develop the student's ability to be a reflective and active citizen, in a way that is informed by the insights and skills of social and political science. The introduction of the specification is part of the Department of Education and Skills' commemoration of 1916 and its commitment to education for sustainable development.

The new subject has four main strands of study:

- Power and decision-making

- Active citizenship

- Human rights and responsibilities

- Globalisation and localisation.