Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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There are many strategies and specific policy tools driving digital technology in our secondary schools. The overarching policy in this area is the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027. It sets out my Department’s policy approach in embedding digital technology across the curriculum and in all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. The stated vision of the Digital Strategy is “to empower schools to harness the opportunities of digital transformation to build digital competence and an effective digital education ecosystem so as to develop competent, critically engaged, active learners while supporting them to reach their potential and participate fully as global citizens in a digital world”. It can be accessed here gov.ie - Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027and is supported by an overall investment of some €200million.

Specifically relating to STEM, the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017–2026sets out the ambitious goals and actions required to achieve and improve the STEM education experiences and outcomes for all learners, regardless of background, ability and gender. The second implementation plan, STEM Education Implementation Plan to 2026, was published this year. The implementation of the actions over the coming three years will aim to further improve the STEM education experience and outcomes for all learners from early learning and care to post-primary level.

Under the Programme for Government the Department of Education is tasked with the development of a successor Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for all learners in early learning and care, primary and post primary schools. The new Strategy will amongst other areas focus on strengthening digital literacy among both learners and educators. It will be published in early 2024.

The Department of Education, has a number of actions across the education sector in the cross departmental Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, which was launched in March of this year. Programmes led by the Department of Education, such as BLAST and Creative Clusters, put arts and creativity at the heart of education and allow children and young people to experience opportunities to engage in creative projects including in areas of digital technology, STEM, sustainability and other areas of education.

Digital skills and digital literacy

The existing curriculum at post primary level offers multiple opportunities for the development of digital skills and digital literacy. Reform of the curriculum is underway which will further ensure that our children and young people are equipped with the necessary digital skills and literacy required to participate fully in society.

At Junior Cycle, the Framework for Junior Cycle provides multiple opportunities for the development of digital skills. A set of 24 Statements of Learning are central to the student experience in Junior Cycle and Statement 24 focuses explicitly on the development of digital skills setting out the expectation that the student uses technology and digital media tools to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively in a responsible and ethical manner.

In addition to this cross-curricular focus on digital skills, schools may choose to offer short courses which explicitly focus on digital skills. In particular, the NCCA has developed a short course in Digital Media Literacy through which students will learn to use digital technology to engage in self-directed enquiry, to discriminate between multiple sources of information and to participate safely and effectively in an online environment. In addition to this, schools may choose to provide the NCCA short course on Coding as well as short courses developed by schools or other organisations to suit the specific needs and interests of their students in Junior Cycle.

Leaving Certificate Computer Science (LCCS) was first introduced, as a new subject, on a phased basis to 40 schools in September 2018. Since September 2020, LCCS is available to all schools nationally as a full optional subject. The numbers of schools offering the subject is growing and the numbers of students sitting Leaving Certificate Computer Science continues to rise, reaching nearly 37% in 2023. There are currently approximately 145 schools across the country offering this subject to their students.

An early enactment review of LCCS was completed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and was published this year. Its purpose was to gather feedback and explore how the curriculum is being enacted and how it could be improved, the student experience of learning and assessment and how teachers are working with the curriculum. In summary, the review revealed a spectrum of responses and experiences but there was an overwhelming consensus that the aims and objectives of the specification are being achieved.

Oide, the Department of Education funded Integrated Teacher Education Support Service, provides a variety of Professional Learning to teachers. Its dedicated Technology in Education Team design, develop and deliver a comprehensive range of teacher professional learning (TPL) programmes to support the embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment both across the curriculum and subject specific. Their dedicated website can be found at Oide Technology in Education - Home.