Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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497. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline who will provide the training to teachers to deliver Leaving Certificate reform and primary school curriculum reform. [55291/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The redeveloped Primary School Curriculum is designed to support high-quality learning, teaching, and assessment. It is inclusive and evidence-based, recognising the right of all children to make progress across all areas of their learning.

The curriculum is intended to be used flexibly, encouraging a sense of agency and context-specific ownership. Importantly, its enactment is not solely the responsibility of schools, it requires the active engagement of all stakeholders across the education system.

As part of the supports underpinning enactment, teachers and school leaders will receive teacher professional learning through Oide, the Department funded support service for teachers and school leaders, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI).

Teacher professional learning will be facilitated by Oide for all primary schools and by NCSE for all special schools. The professional learning will support teachers and/or school leaders to develop their understanding of the over-arching messages from the Primary Curriculum Framework. It will also develop their understanding and enactment of the new curriculum specifications.

PPLI/Languages Connect will support the introduction of Modern Foreign Languages. They will work with Education Support Centres, Cultural Institutes and Higher Education Institutions, and other providers to provide modern foreign language learning opportunities over a number of years to enhance teachers’ confidence and competence in a modern foreign language of their choice.

In the current context of redevelopment at senior cycle, professional learning is critical in ensuring effective change to curriculum and assessment.

Oide, the Department funded support service for teachers and school leaders is dedicated to supporting teachers and school leaders with the successful implementation of the redeveloped senior cycle in their schools.

It plays a key role in delivering high quality professional learning to support curriculum and assessment changes at senior cycle, ensuring that teachers have the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement the redeveloped senior cycle effectively.

Teachers of Tranche 1 subjects received professional learning throughout the academic year 24 to 25, in advance of the implementation of these subjects in September 2025. There is an ongoing programme of Teacher Professional Learning over a number of years to support the roll-out of the new and revised specifications.

Professional learning for teachers of subjects in Tranche 2 began on 6th October 2025 in advance of implementation of these subjects in September 2026.

In addition, the Oide Inclusive Education team provided a range of supports including full day professional learning experiences, online webinars, information videos and bespoke school support for mainstream and special schools to support the introduction and implementation of the Senior Cycle Learning Programmes, Level 1 and Level 2 Programme Statement.

Support for the introduction and implementation of the new Transition Year Programme Statement is ongoing. The areas in focus for these full day professional learning experiences has been the introduction of the new TY Programmes Statement, supporting the auditing and review of currents programmes in place in schools.

Teacher are released from teaching duties, whether through school closure or provision of substitution, in order to avail of these professional learning opportunities.