Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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270. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to the inclusion of a farm safety section in the agricultural science curriculum at secondary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27224/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The current LC Agricultural Science curriculum was introduced in schools in September 2019 following a curriculum development process undertaken by the NCCA. This process involved a subject development group comprising representatives with suitable expertise, nominated by their respective stakeholder organisations, to deliberate and make decisions about what young people should learn in school. The work of this specialist group was monitored and discussed regularly by the Boards and Council of the NCCA to ensure that young people in Ireland receive an appropriate and relevant education. In addition, there were several opportunities during the process where the work of the development group was informed by public consultation.

Farm safety is an integral part of the curriculum specification for Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science that was developed through the rigorous process outlined above. One of the overall aims of the curriculum is that students “develop their scientific knowledge and skills, in the context of agricultural practices, and increase their awareness of health and safety issues associated with these practices.”

Central to the over-arching strand of the curriculum, is the concept of working safely, and specific learning outcomes are dedicated to safe working practices in agriculture. The prominence of farm safety in the over-arching strand anticipates student engagement with farm safety as part of their ongoing learning in the agricultural science course. Moreover, farm safety learning is explicitly referenced in a number of learning outcomes.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to the inclusion of a farm safety segment and presentation series for children at primary-school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27225/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is a priority for my Department that children feel safe and secure in their surroundings and that they are enabled, through the curriculum, to be aware of situations that may cause them harm including being safe on the farm.

Farms and farm safety are specifically mentioned at all stages in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum at primary level, for example – In infant classes children should be enabled to identify situations and places that are safe and those where personal safety might be at risk; and to explore how accidents might be prevented at home, in school, on the farm, or in the water.

For first and second class the child should be enabled to become familiar with and understand the need to adhere to safety rules that apply in school, at home, on the farm, in water, for his/her own safety and that of others;

At third and fourth class, the child should be enabled to explore and examine how accidents are caused, identifying ways in which some of these can be prevented and the appropriate action to be taken if an accident or emergency occurs at home, in school, on the farm, at the seaside.

And at fifth and sixth class level the child should be enabled to identify and explore some potential risks to health and safety in the environment traffic, pollution, chemicals, ultraviolet light; and to identify the substances in the home and school or on the farm that may be dangerous if not used properly and ensure that he/she has learned a safety strategy for dealing with unknown and dangerous substances.

There is potential also for some of this work to be integrated with themes in history, geography and science, at primary level teachers have the autonomy to focus in on particular areas of the curriculum which may be more relevant to the context of their teaching.

There are already a number of external programmes run by groups, such as Agri Aware, who provide useful resources to schools on the area of farm safety. As with all resources developed by external providers, schools have the autonomy to choose whichever resources, if any, are most appropriate to support their teaching and the needs of pupils in their own unique contexts.