Mount St. Michael, Claremorris, students at NCCA seminar in Sligo. Photo: Julien Behal Photography

Mayo students take part in review of senior cycle

SOME 41 schools nationwide are reviewing senior cycle education in collaboration with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).

The NCCA hosted a seminar in Sligo yesterday exploring pathways and flexibility in senior cycle education in Ireland. Local schools taking part included Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Claremorris, and St. Louis Community School in Kiltimagh.

The seminar included teachers, parents and students, as well as representatives from management bodies, teacher unions, subject associations, the National Parents Council Post-Primary, support services, Higher Education, State Examinations Commission and the Department of Education and Skills.

Seminar participants heard from Professor Emer Smyth of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) who provided insights into teacher, student and parent voices on pathways, programmes, assessment and reporting emerging from the school-based review. Participants then engaged in round table discussions in relation to three key questions and areas of their choice and their contributions will feed into the review.

This process began in 2016 at the NCCA board for senior cycle, which is made-up of representatives or educational partners and stakeholders. The board identified priority areas to be explored during a review of the senior cycle phase of education.

To underpin and inform the review, NCCA commissioned research on TY, LCVP and LCA programmes and an international scoping of provision in upper secondary education in other jurisdictions. In February of 2018, this international research was published and NCCA launched the Review of Senior Cycle.

In May 2018, NCCA began working with 41 collaborating schools to generate a shared vision for senior cycle and a strong base from which to shape a curriculum that genuinely meets the needs of all learners for years to come.

This approach features two consultative cycles of thematic discussions about senior cycle education with these schools. The first cycle focuseds on the Purpose of Senior Cycle Education and Thinking about the Future, with the second cycle exploring Pathways and Flexibilities in Senior Cycle Education.

Each cycle begins as a school-based discussion, where the emphasis is on teacher, parent and student voice. Each cycle then widens out to conclude with a national seminar discussion involving representatives from the collaborating schools and education partners.

An update bulletin is then distributed to all post-primary schools and a range of stakeholders. The bulletin for Cycle 1 is available here: https://www.ncca.ie/media/3878/ncca_sc_single_pages_en.pdf and an update bulletin from Cycle 2 will be available at the end of March.

 

What’s happening next

Following this series of national seminars, a report on the review of collaborative review of senior cycle education will be published. Senior cycle review will then be opened to full public consultation from March to June 2019, with many ways of getting involved and contributing to the conversation.

Keep an eye on the NCCA website for news and updates on how to get involved in the public consultation from March to June 2019.