The public’s opportunity to weigh in on the new primary school draft curriculum will end at 5 p.m. next Tuesday, the 18th of June.
Since March 9th of this year, the State-run National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has been running a public consultation on the new draft curriculum, which it describes as “the most significant primary consultation in 25 years”, with the body saying that “NCCA wants to hear from as many more people as possible.”
“The feedback gathered from this consultation will be analysed and reported upon, and will contribute to the finalisation of the five Draft Curriculum Specifications,” they added.
The group went on to outline the rationale for changing the curriculum.
“The current primary school curriculum is 25 years old,” the NCCA said in a statement.
“When it was published in 1999, it was a cutting-edge curriculum, informed by extensive research. However, a lot has changed in our world since then, and research has provided important insights as to the kinds of learning experiences children should have.”
As recently covered on Gript, the draft curriculum has removed reference to the aim of “developing a sense of Irish identity” from the original 1999 curriculum, instead urging them to develop a “sense of identity as global citizens”.
The draft of the new primary level curriculum has removed a previous reference to “developing a sense of Irish identity” and added emphasis to developing a “sense of identity as global citizens”https://t.co/9jLrJ3qujb
— gript (@griptmedia) June 7, 2024
The framework also says it is “concerned with the best interest of every child, considering that they vary in their competence, language, family background, age, culture, ethnic status, religion, gender, and sexual identity.” Notably, the terms ‘gender and sexual identity’ are not defined.
The public can read the full draft specifications for the subjects of Arts Education, Primary Languages (Including Modern Foreign Languages), Social and Environmental Education, Science, Technology and Engineering, and Wellbeing here.
Individuals can weigh in with a written submission using this form, or by emailing PCRRsubmissions@ncca.ie to share their thoughts.
Education Minister Norma Foley has called on “all educators, parents, and stakeholders to contribute to this consultation on the latest stage of primary curriculum change.”
Similarly, NCCA Chief Executive Arlene Forster said that she encourages “everyone to take this opportunity to get involved to help ensure that the curriculum continues to play its role in supporting great teaching and learning.”