“Junior cycle written exams planned for thousands of students in September look set to be abandoned in favour of school-based assessments in May. The move follows concerns that delaying the exams would lead to unnecessary anxiety among students and logistical problems for schools …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 25 April]
“Many secondary students have expressed concern that the Government’s decision to postpone the Leaving Cert until late summer will lead to burnout and mental health problems among exam candidates. Minister for Education Joe McHugh confirmed on Friday that the exams will be postponed until late July or early August in light of public health concerns …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 April]
“The Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle orals and practical exams are being cancelled – but students will be awarded full marks for them. However, no decision has been made yet about the written exams in June, Education Minister Joe McHugh said today …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 19 March]
“Sir, – For years, teachers were told that the introduction of iPads in school classrooms was innovative and progressive education at its best. Despite the objections of many teachers, the advice of experts and other interested parties was used to justify the use of these devices …” (more)
[Sean Keaveny, Irish Times, 3 March]
“Sir, – I am writing in response to Sean Keaveny’s letter in which the author calls for a ‘root and branch’ review of junior cycle education (November 22nd). There was one. It culminated in the publication in 2015 of the Framework for Junior Cycle, which is currently being phased into schools …” (more)
[Pádraig Kirk, Irish Times, 2 December]
“Junior Cycle reforms are threatening to ‘implode’ in schools, with warnings that pupils face losing significant amounts of tuition time if a long-running row is not sorted. At the heart of the dispute is the timing of meetings designed to underpin the quality of new classroom-based student assessments, known as CBAs …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 19 October]
“Sir, – Colm O’Connor in his article ‘History “special status” forces big reversal of Junior Cycle reform’ (Education Analysis, October 15th) finishes with the following astute observation: ‘Deep reforms require a compass bearing, and for this, it seems clear that a national consensus must first be achieved …'” (more)
[Sean Keaveny, Irish Times, 18 October]
“Major curriculum change at senior cycle level should not take place until there is a comprehensive review of the impact of Junior Cycle changes, a teachers’ union has warned. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is consulting with parents, students and teachers as part of an ongoing review of the senior cycle …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 15 October]
“The decision to grant the subject of history a special status in the Junior Cycle has been met with relief in many quarters. As a former history teacher, I understand this sentiment; it speaks well of our civil society, and no doubt, of the values which influenced the Minister’s decision …” (more)
[Colm O’Connor, Irish Times, 15 October]
“Sir, – By giving history ‘special core status’, Minister for Education Joe McHugh has essentially made the Framework for Junior Cycle document null and void as it has removed a key principle that it stands on choice and flexibility for schools and students …” (more)
[Letters, Irish Times, 3 October]
“On one hand, the debate over the place of history on the school curriculum has been an invigorating, encouraging experience. A discussion that has drawn in everyone from the President to school-children, has been a reminder of the importance society attaches to understanding its past. On the other hand, that debate has been beset by confusion …” (more)
[Irish Times, 1 October]
“The Minister for Education Joe McHugh has ruled out making subjects such as geography or science mandatory after moving to make the study of history compulsory for Junior Cycle students. Mr McHugh announced on Tuesday that he will give history ‘special core status’ in the Junior Cycle following a review on whether the subject should remain optional or not …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 1 October]
“Sir, – Matthew Harrison (Letters, May 30th) makes the common mistake of assessing the learning experience of students by looking only at the terminal exam they will sit. He bemoans that junior cycle English, through its two-hour exam, ‘offers our pupils less scope for engagement and depth of analysis than any other subject, except for common-level civic social and political education (CSPE)’ …” (more)
[David O’Donvan, Irish Times, 3 June]
“Sir, – Over recent days no less than eight items relating to history, education and commemoration have appeared in your opinion, analysis and letters pages. It is a measure of the importance of history that your newspaper has chosen to place it at the centre of public discourse …” (more)
[Deirdre Mac Mathúna, Irish Times, 13 May]
“Minister for Education Joe McHugh is set to be told by the State’s curriculum advisers that making history compulsory for junior-cycle students could undermine recent education reforms. Mr McHugh last year sought a review on whether history should be an optional subject in the junior cycle after concerns that some students would never learn about key moments in national history …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 1 May]
“A second-level teachers union leader said the junior cycle reforms must be properly evaluated before any changes are made to the Leaving Cert. Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) president Seamus Lahart said while a senior cycle review was under way there was no evidence of the positive and negative consequences of the radical overhaul of the Junior Cert …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 25 April]
“Sir, – I would like to address some points made by Gary Granville in his opinion piece on ‘Should history be compulsory for Junior Cert students?’ (March 26th). Mr Granville has missed the point of the current debate on the availability of history at Junior Cycle. The conflict is not one that can simply be reduced to ‘in favour of or opposed to the subject’ …” (more)
[Deirdre Mac Mathúna, Irish Times, 2 April]
“The Irish Times published an article in on Tuesday 26th March which gave space to Mary O’Rourke and Dr Gary Granville to present their view on whether history should be a compulsory subject. Dr Gary Granville is professor emeritus at the National College of Art and Design. He was formerly assistant chief executive in the NCCA …” (more)
[Peter Lydon, 31 March]
“Jan O’Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will include other subjects such as geography in the context of the review being carried out on the decision to remove history as a core subject in the junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 28 February]
“Leaving Cert reform: decision time: Classrooms in the run-up to the Leaving can resemble military training grounds where students are drilled to produce perfect answers to potential questions based on marking schemes. Students are stressed, teachers have little choice, creativity suffers …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 7 January]
