Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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298.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that her Department increases funding for Transition Year programmes in schools across Ireland to ensure that there is enough capacity in all schools (details supplied). [25000/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Transition Year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities for life skills, personal, social and academic development and experience of adult and working life. Transition Year has a unique and important value in the life of students.

I am a huge fan of Transition Year based on my own experience in teaching. I think we should never underestimate the importance of it.

As the Deputy will be aware, each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In developing a programme, schools are advised to take into consideration students’ needs, parents’ views, employers and the wider interests of the local community.

Currently, the Transition Year Programme is funded by the Transition Year Grant in addition to the standard capitation grant. The current effective rate for the Transition Year Grant is €95 per student. As of the 2024/2025 school year, the standard capitation grant will be restored to €345 per student for voluntary secondary schools. This funding is made available to (non-fee charging) schools based on the number of enrolled students. Transition Year is also supported through the payment of teachers’ salaries and the provision of capital funding to schools.

Since its introduction, the popularity and uptake of Transition Year has increased significantly to the point where it is now offered in almost every post-primary school. The number of students entering Transition Year has been continued to rise in recent years, with the latest figures showing that over 58,000 students (just over 80% of third year students) entered Transition Year in school year 2023/24. This has increased significantly from 74% and 48,000 in 2019.

It is important to note that there are several reasons that students may not take Transition Year, even where they wish to do so. While well over 90% of schools offer Transition Year, a minority of students may be unable to take Transition Year because it is not offered in their school.

Furthermore, in some schools where Transition Year is offered it may not be possible to accommodate all students who wish to do Transition Year.

As part of the broader redevelopment of Senior Cycle, I announced my commitment that Transition Year would be made universally available so that in the future, every student in every school who wishes to participate in the programme will have the opportunity to do so. I recognise that additional resources to schools will be needed to facilitate this, and I am working with my officials and my colleagues in Government to ensure that appropriate resources are available.

I am committed to ensuring that Transition Year provision can be expanded where needed and to support schools in that. To this end, my officials are currently working to identify barriers to participation and understand their causes in order to give effect to my vision of universal access. Specifically I have asked my officials to engage directly with schools in this body of work.

In addition, a revised Transition Year Programme Statement, which will support schools to enable this expanded access and enhancement of their Transition Year programmes, is currently being finalised. The revised Programme Statement will help to ensure the delivery of a valuable Transition Year experience for students across all schools participating in the programme.

The introduction of the revised Programme Statement will be accompanied by the provision of professional support from Oide to teachers and schools in terms of continuous professional development.

I have also committed to providing additional funding to support Transition Year on top of the restoration of the capitation funding already committed to, and further details on this funding will be confirmed in due course.