Senior Cycle Reform
Lee Hehir, Eryk Kolodziej, Craig Claxton, Sean Flannery
Introduction
On Tuesday 29 March 2022, Minister for Education
Norma Foley TD announced a vision for the reform of
Senior Cycle education in Ireland.
• The NCCA will lead work on a more integrated Senior
Cycle experience for all students.
• The review report acknowledges the considerable
strengths of each of the Leaving Certificate programmes
(LCE, LCA and LCVP). These strengths could benefit all
learners and will be considered in this work.
• Transition Year will remain a standalone programme.
• The broad-based Senior Cycle experience will be
maintained. As the NCCA leads on this work, several
priority areas will be progressed which will see
immediate changes in the system.
Reference Photo
Leaving certificate (2022) The Irish
Times
Leaving Certificate Sitting (2018)
Joe.ie
Understanding debates about curriculum developments
There are 2 main debates revolved around curriculum
development in Ireland. Those are the reform of the junior and
senior cycles.
The junior cycle has been recently reformed to introduce CBA's
(Classroom Based Assessments) in order to reduce stress for
students. Some argue that the reform is a bad idea as it causes
students to be lazy and their development in subjects is hindered.
Others argue that it helps students stay on track throughout their
Senior Cycle Reform
junior cycle as they are continuously being assessed, which
causes them to produce their best quality of work throughout the New subjects will be developed and new subject curricula, which
cycle. outline what material is taught and assessed in a subject, will be
The reform of the senior cycle involves a lot of new suggestions devised
from the minister of Education, Norma Foley. There has recently the process of doing this will involve teachers, students and
been an introduction to the music exams now being on during school communities as well as other education experts.
Easter, as opposed to during the exam time in June to reduce The NCCA will publish a curriculum review by September 2023 .
This will set out a plan for new and revised subject curricula to be
pressure for students. Another suggestion which has yet to be
delivered in annual blocks
accepted/declined is the proposal of doing the Math's, English
and Irish paper 1's in 5th Year to further reduce pressure during 2 new subjects will be available for students in network schools
exam times in 6th Year. from September 2024: Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and
Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
Critical appraise of school on senior cycle reform
The idea of improving schools by developing professional
learning
communities is currently in vogue. People use this term to
describe every imaginable combination of individuals with an
interest in education—a grade-level teaching team, a school
committee, a high school
department, an entire school district, a state department of
education, a national professional
organization, and so on. In fact, the term has been used so
ubiquitously that it is in danger of
losing all meaning.
Sean Flannery (G00391688)​
Craig Claxton (G00378320)​
Eryk Kolodziej (G00392703)
Lee Hehir (G00395343)