Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the development of the curriculum programme in respect of ethics and beliefs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26137/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector recommended in its report that programmes in Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB) and Ethics be developed. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) was asked to explore the development of such programmes.

The NCCA produced a Consultation Paper in 2015 outlining the proposed rationale, vision, aims and features of a curriculum in ERB and Ethics, and engaged in an extensive consultation process with patrons, education partners, schools, teachers and parents.  The final Consultation Report, which outlines the key messages arising from the consultation process and the implications for the development of a curriculum, was published by the NCCA on 14 February 2017.

In the Report, the NCCA notes that the consultation found that ERB and Ethics is viewed as an important part of a child’s education and that there is significant support for the type of teaching and learning outlined in the consultation proposals. However, there are features of the education system that are important contextual considerations for the development and implementation of curriculum provision for ERB and Ethics for primary schools, such as the denominational structure of the system and curriculum overload. 

The Consultation Report describes a way forward for the development of integrated provision for ERB and Ethics as part of the newly-developing primary curriculum.

As a step in advancing the recommendations of the Forum on Patronage in this regard, the NCCA has formed a small network of schools to gather and share examples of good practice in the area of ERB and Ethics for schools to use in supporting and developing their practice in this area. The development of proposals for provision for Education about Religion and Beliefs and Ethics at primary level will also take account of the on-going work on the review of the structure and time allocation in the primary school curriculum.