Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of schools in County Kildare that have a compulsory transition year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41432/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the provision of the Transition Year Programme in their school.

In some schools, the Transition Year programme is compulsory for all students, in other schools Transition Year is offered as an option to students. Circumstances may arise where it is necessary to limit the number of students who can avail of the Transition Year programme in a school and it is the board of management of these schools that decide the number of places available on the programme. In cases where restrictions apply, schools should have clear procedures regarding how places are allocated to students.

In 2018/19, 45,915 students in 670 schools participated in Transition Year. This means over two thirds of all students, as a percentage of the previous third years, participated in Transition Year in approximately 92.8% of schools.

Of the 28 post primary schools in Kildare that registered returns to the Department of Education and Skills, 27 offered Transition Year in the 2018/19 school year.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is currently carrying out a review of Senior Cycle. The Transition Year programme is being considered as part of this review.