College entry to be based on wider range of students' skills

• Published date: 08 November 2021

It proposes reforms to the Leaving Cert which reduce the focus on stressful end-of-school exams in June and the introduction of a "curriculum for all" that includes options such as apprenticeships, taster modules, voluntary work and life skills.

The Irish Times understands that the proposals are contained in an advisory report on senior-cycle reform due to be published by Minister for Education Norma Foley shortly.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment advisory report is based on extensive research and consultation with teachers, students, parents and others over the past five years.

There is broad agreement that exams should remain and that assessment results would continue to provide a means of selection into higher education, on the basis that externally marked exams are seen as enjoying widespread public trust.

However, the report envisages giving greater weighting to continual assessment, projects or other course components over a two- or three-year period.

The report acknowledges the current emphasis on end-of-school exams is seen by many as causing a "negative backwash" in teaching and learning, which is leading to "unacceptable levels of stress" in the run-up to exams.

It says future changes to the CAO system should at a minimum take account of new developments and flexible learning pathways in a redeveloped senior cycle.

"These developments could ease student and societal concerns that so much currently hinges on a few weeks of examinations at the end of senior cycle," the report states.

It says the next generation of students, for whom learning will be a continuous feature of their adult and working lives, will be best served through the provision of more flexible learning pathways at senior cycle.

Taster modules

In addition to traditional subjects, it envisages taster modules for apprenticeships or other technical, professional, enterprise or creative areas of learning.

Some of...