Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills

In the context of the implementation of the new Framework for Junior Cycle the only subjects that will be “compulsory” are English, Mathematics and Irish. This decision has been taken to give schools the flexibiilty to develop their Junior Cycle programme mindful of the educational needs of their own students and mindful of the principles, statements of learning and key skills as set out in the Framework.

Education about active citizenship and the promotion of human rights issues are an integral component of the new Framework for Junior Cycle. For example, one of the 24 ‘Statements of Learning’, that encompass the key knowledge and skills that students will develop during their junior cycle, requires that all students will “value what it means to be an active citizen with rights and responsibilities in local and wider context”.

In addition, the 8 key skills which underpin the new Framework for Junior Cycle, include “working with others” whereby students should realise and experience how they can “contribute to making the world a better place”. As junior cycle students will experience the statements of learning and key skills, it is expected that education for active citizenship and education about human rights and responsibilities will continue to be an important part of the new Junior Cycle.

I recently approved a new short course in CSPE that has been developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). This short course will be available to schools to implement, from this September, should they wish to do so as part of their Junior Cycle programme or they may continue to offer the current syllabus. Schools will choose from one or the other for the up-coming academic year 2014/2015. This programme is in fact designed for 100 hours of teaching compared to less than 70 hours for the existing CSPE syllabus.

The new short course aims to inform, inspire, empower and enable young people to participate as active citizens in contemporary society at local, national and global levels based on an understanding of human rights and social responsibilities.

As with Junior Cycle, education about active citizenship and human rights issues are also reflected at Senior Cycle. As part of transition year, students are afforded the opportunity to further interrogate some of the themes encountered in CSPE at Junior Cycle. This is facilitated by the availability of resources and materials that have been developed by as number of NGOs, including Amnesty International, for use by transition year pupils.
 
I have also indicated my intention to introduce ‘Politics and Society’ as a new optional Leaving Certificate subject. One of the objectives of the draft syllabus, which has been developed by the NCCA, is to develop ‘a sense of care for others and a respect for and a valuing of diversity in all areas of human life within the parameters of human rights principles’. In addition, the draft syllabus is structured around four key areas. One of these areas is ‘Active Citizenship’. The Politics and Society subject will be made available to schools once the NCCA has advised my Department on a number of outstanding issues.