Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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442. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of Leaving Certificate reform; her plans, and the timeline of changes; and what changes are planned. [16571/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, in March 2022, the Minister for Education announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.

The Programme for Government commits to continuing the programme of reform of Senior Cycle to ensure that students benefit from up-to-date curricula, more diverse skills development and assessments, and reduced stress levels.

Accordingly, an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education has been progressing at pace, including redevelopments to the Leaving Certificate Established (LCE), the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and Transition Year (TY) programmes. The programme of work is continuing according to the published timelines.

The NCCA has published the schedule for the revision of all Leaving Certificate Established subjects and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme link modules in five annual tranches from 2025 to 2029, available online here:

Revised specifications in Business, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Arabic, Latin, and Ancient Greek (known as the Tranche 1 subjects) are scheduled for introduction for fifth years from the start of the next school year, i.e. school year 2025/26. These revised specifications can be accessed here: www.curriculumonline.ie/senior-cycle/senior-cycle-subjects/

In addition, there are also two new subjects (1) Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and (2) Climate Action and Sustainable Development, planned for introduction in a number of selected schools in the 2025/2026 school year. The application to become a Phase One School concluded in April 2024, and the full list of the full list of selected schools is available online here:

Schools introducing Climate Action and Sustainable Development will receive grant support in addition to being able to avail of existing frameworks for ICT and science equipment.

Schools introducing Drama, Film and Theatre Studies will receive camera, lighting, audio, computer, and staging equipment in addition to a grant to support attendance of live performances.

All Phase One schools will receive an additional teaching allocation of four hours for 2025/26 and eight hours in 2026/27.

Consultation on draft revised specifications for Construction Studies, Engineering, and English is open on the NCCA website (Consultations | NCCA) until 5 May. Consultation on Accounting, Geography, Physical Education, and the LCVP Link Modules closes on 25 April. Collectively those subjects and modules constitute Tranche 2 scheduled for introduction in schools in 2026. In addition, consultations on the Background Papers for the Tranche 3 subjects have recently concluded.

Circular 0002/2025 issued in January 2025 providing schools with the prescribed material for Leaving Certificate Drama, Film and Theatre Studies in the academic years 2025-27, 2026-28 and 2027-2029. A circular outlining the prescribed material for the Leaving Certificate examinations 2027 will issue in the coming days, to include materials for the new Latin and Ancient Greek specifications.

As the Deputy is aware, each new and revised specification will include additional assessment component(s) (AACs), outside of a written exam, worth a minimum of 40% and externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).

A sample brief for AACs in each of the Tranche 1 subjects will be available to schools in September 2025. Guidelines on AACs for each subject have been published alongside the revised specification. These guidelines were developed in close cooperation with the SEC and teacher focus groups. Their publication delivers on a commitment to provide assessment materials to teachers to support the implementation of Tranche 1 subjects.

Four sample examination papers (two Higher level, two Ordinary level) in each of the Tranche 1 subjects will be published by the SEC in the coming days. This includes 72 papers, when Irish language versions are accounted for. These papers will include guidance on mark allocations, providing further certainty to teachers and to schools as they prepare to introduce the new and revised subject specifications.

In addition, Oide will provide a series of professional learning webinars for teachers of Tranche 1 subjects, following publication of the SEC’s sample examination papers. This will take place over a two-week period, from 28 April to 9 May. Oide has already delivered professional learning directly relevant to Senior Cycle Redevelopment to well over 26,000 school leaders and teachers this school year. Those numbers are climbing steadily week on week and will continue in the years ahead as each tranche and element of the programme is implemented.

Students are already benefitting from changes introduced in September 2022 providing access to the LCVP Link Modules without meeting the criteria or requirements set out in Circular Letter 0040/2013. An updated LCVP Programme Statement reflecting these changes is available at the following link: www.curriculumonline.ie/senior-cycle/leaving-certificate-vocational-programme-(lcvp)/.

Since September 2022, students may now also access LCE Mathematics and an LCE Modern Foreign Language (MFL), subject to their school’s timetabling. Students may study LCE Mathematics either in addition to LCA Mathematical Applications, or instead of LCA Mathematical Applications. In such cases, students receive an integrated statement of results from the SEC.

From the start of school year 2025/26, students entering year one of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme will be required to follow the new Senior Cycle Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum specification. The new specification for Senior Cycle SPHE will replace the current Social Education modules 1 and 4. An updated LCA Programme Statement reflecting these changes for students entering LCA in the 2025/26 school year is available at .

As the Deputy is aware last December, my Department announced €12m in funding for a Science Implementation Support Grant to support schools with the rollout of the revised science subjects from the next school year.

This grant was paid to all schools in the free scheme with a minimum base payment of €13,000 up to a maximum of €24,200 based on four bands of enrolment with a further 10% uplift for DEIS schools. This means DEIS schools received an additional 10% on top of the base payment for their enrolment band which was in line with previous applications of a DEIS uplift in Departmental funding models, including the grant for ICT infrastructure.

In line with the redevelopment programme’s vision of equity and excellence in education, real opportunities to progress and consolidate learning are becoming available for students of Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes, similar to those programmes at Junior Cycle. The introduction of Senior Cycle L1/L2LPs provides enhanced options so that students can follow the senior cycle curriculum areas and pathways that are most appropriate to their needs.

The Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes Statement was published in September 2024 and currently two Curriculum Areas and associated modules have been published and are available to schools: Numeracy, and Communication and Literacy. These curriculum areas and associated modules were developed to consolidate, continue and progress students' learning from their junior cycle learning experiences.

Additional modules in Personal Care and more electives are in various stages of development with a number of L1 and L2 electives already the subject of consultation which took place from 6 January to 28 February 2025 and is now closed. These elective modules are Drama, Literature, Looking After My Environment, My Life, my Finance, and Physical Education. It is intended that these elective modules will be available for September 2025.

A new Programme Statement for Transition Year (TY) has also been published. The Programme Statement will guide schools in developing innovative programmes that facilitate students to explore diverse future pathways, gain first-hand workplace experience, and develop career-related competencies.

In January 2025, the NCCA, in collaboration with ETBI and SOLAS published the initial vocational education and training (iVET) module. This is a flexible module that gives students the opportunity to engage in interactive programmes and off-site learning through collaboration with industry and Further Education and Training (FET) providers during their Transition Year. The specification is available here: iVET-Module.pdf .

Schools can also offer students specific micro modules during Transition Year. A TY micro-module is typically designed to provide a concentrated learning experience, within the parameters of the Transition Year Programme Statement, to enhance the educational experience of students. They can be designed and delivered as standalone components or designed to be integrated with other TY components.

TY micro-modules can be developed for a duration of up to 10, 20, or 30 hours, whilst having the flexibility for schools to decide on the most suitable balance of class contact time and self-directed, independent learning. Schools can offer micro modules that are designed by the NCCA or external providers.

The Department has, to date, issued ten Information Notes for schools. These notes provide regular updates on the status of Senior Cycle Redevelopment, and the timeline of changes.

The Department has requested all schools to circulate the Information Notes to students, parents and staff in each school, and to the wider school community. The Information Notes that have issued to schools can be found here: gov.ie - Senior Cycle Redevelopment www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/7f5d4-senior-cycle-redevelopment/?referrer=https://www.gov.ie/seniorcycle/.