No coding on the Leaving until 2017 at least, says Jan
THE Minister for Education has said that coding will not be introduced as a subject on the Leaving Certificate Curriculum until at least 2017.
Jan O’Sullivan revealed the news, somewhat ironically, at yesterday’s final of the 52nd annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, Ms O’Sullivan said: ‘It’s currently been looked at by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment and so it’s looking at a future date.
‘We wouldn’t have a date as of yet but it won’t be this year. We would be looking at the following year.’
An Education Department spokeswoman told how the system grinds on until eventually a decision is made that will only benefit children down the road.
She said there are a number of distinct stages. She said: ‘Development of new specifications
‘Between two to three years’
takes time, and is managed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
‘Firstly, the process for developing a specification for a subject involves the initial development, publication of, and consultation on a Background Paper looking at the rationale, experience, developments in, and content of, the subject.
‘From this process of developing and consulting on a Background Paper, a brief for the development of the specification is finalised – this is the brief to which the NCCA Development Group for the subject will produce the specification.
‘The second stage of the process involves the Development Group developing the actual curriculum and assessment specification, and concludes with a public consultation on the specification.
‘Following this, the specification is finalised and approved by Council. The time usually taken for this process from beginning to end is between two to three years,’ she said. When the specification is approved it is normal to have a lead-in time of one year where CPD is provided to teachers so that they are prepared to teach the subject in question.’
She added: ‘Thus it would not be feasible to start work on any Leaving Certificate subject and have it implemented in a school within one year. It needs to be an informed process that considers the views of the stakeholders and of research.
‘It also requires the preparation of teachers, so that they can teach with confidence the new materials, especially if it is a new content area,’ she added.
Ms O’Sullivan was taking a look at some of the 550 projects on display at the RDS for the BT Young Scientist.
Commending the extraordinary talents of the students, she said: ‘It’s fantastic and such a wonderful showcase on offer.
‘I was here last year obviously as minister and I have been here previously as a TD. It’s a fantastic showcase and going from strength to strength.
‘It’s a great opportunity for young people, not just to do the research and present what’s on the stands but to actually communicate it to the general public which is a very important skill for young people.
‘The BT Young Scientist Exhibition is a hugely positive event in the education calendar and one that is of growing interest not just for people interested in education but also for the general public.’
More than 30,000 people visited the RDS yesterday to take in the highlights.
Some of the talent on showcase this week included hi-tech walking sticks that warn of obstacles for those who are visually impaired and sound absorbing paint to reduce noise in homes. The winners, Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura from Loreto College in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin were presented with a €5,000 cheque for their project on animal feed.
‘It’s a great showcase’