The Minister for Education Norma Foley today, Tuesday 29 March, announced her ambitious plans for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education for post-primary students – Equity and Excellence for All: where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.
The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:
empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century
enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system
embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels
This new approach will enable students to follow a broad curriculum, develop their interests and skills and participate in a final assessment process consistent with international best practice, which will support them in their next phase of life whether that’s third level, further education and training, apprenticeships or the world of work.
The redeveloped Senior Cycle will include the development of new subjects and revised curricula for all existing subjects, which will be informed by the views of students and teachers in a co-creation process. These will include a significant emphasis on additional assessment components outside of the traditional final written exams.
Minister Foley has announced, among other changes, the introduction of new subjects, providing greater choice for students to better reflect their range of interests and support the development of a wider range of talents and skills. Two new subjects – Drama, Film and Theatre Studies; and Climate Action and Sustainable Development, will be ready for students in network schools starting fifth year in 2024.
Source: www.gov.ie