Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that policy regarding apprenticeships falls under the remit of my colleague, Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

In my own Department, work is ongoing to improve options available to students at senior cycle. In 2022, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.

Since September 2022, Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) students have had improved access to Leaving Certificate Established LCE Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages, broadening the options for LCA students in their chosen path beyond senior cycle.

Students following the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) are now able to access LVCP link modules without meeting subject specific criteria or the modern European language requirements.

My Department is also exploring ways to support schools to further open opportunities for their students to experience “taster” modules where they have opportunities to experience aspects of apprenticeship programmes and the opportunities offered by further education and training institutions. In this way, students will gain greater exposure to the diverse and multiple pathways which are available to them following their senior cycle studies.

A new and much needed dimension to Senior Cycle Redevelopment will be the introduction of a new programme statement for Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes (L1/L2LPs). The introduction of Senior Cycle L1/L2 Learning Programmes will provide enhanced options so that students can follow the pathways that are most appropriate to their needs and will build on the junior cycle equivalent provision.

The draft programme statement and the first draft modules for the Level 1 and Level 2 follow-on programmes for senior cycle has been published. The public consultation on the Programme Statement ended 10 April 2024. The feedback on this consultation will inform further work on this new and much-needed dimension to senior cycle. The first group of modules will be introduced in schools this year and Oide, the support service for teachers and school leaders, is already advancing their work on providing TPL for these modules.

This progress across the entire breadth of our senior cycle programmes since my announcement means that we are now delivering on the ambition of a more inclusive senior cycle that recognises the many talents of our students, and ensures they have the kind of 21st Century education needed in their chosen pathway following post-primary education.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 305 together.

Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website (circular 0008/2024 0009/2024 & 0010/2024).

Each school receives an allocation in respect of Guidance Provision, calculated in accordance with published criteria and by reference to the approved enrolment.

For the current school year 2023/24 there are almost 930 Guidance Counselling posts allocated to our schools at a cost of over €68 million. The number of Guidance Counselling posts allocated to the 16 post-primary schools in Co. Clare is 18.83 whole time equivalents.

The allocation for Guidance Provision is provided separately and transparently on each school’s staffing schedule. These posts have been ring-fenced so they can only be used for guidance activities and to meet the guidance needs of the school in accordance with the school’s Guidance Plan.

My Department has committed considerable resources towards the restoration of guidance counselling hours to post-primary schools, to the provision of CPD for guidance counsellors and to the provision of a national guidance counselling supervision service for post-primary guidance counsellors in recent times.