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Minister McHugh announces review of optional nature of Junior Cycle History

The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh, T.D. today (Wednesday 28th November 2018) has announced the review of optional History under the new Framework for Junior Cycle is expected to be completed by the end of March 2019.

Minister McHugh met the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to discuss the review.

A new specification for the subject was introduced to schools in September of this year, as part of the rollout of the Junior Cycle Framework.

Prior to the introduction of the new Framework, History was a mandatory subject in approximately half of post-primary schools, although around nine out of ten students across post-primary took the History examination at Junior Cycle.

Of the 21 subjects being offered under the Framework, three of these, Mathematics, English and Irish, are mandatory, with the other 18 being optional.

The Minister stated

“It is very important that our education system gives our young people the opportunity to learn about, and learn from, key times and events in our history, particularly in the context of our decade of centenaries.

“These include the end of the First World War, the delicate path we walk to mark the foundation of the State and the role of women in society.

“The study of history also gives us pupils the chance to consider and learn from the story of Irish migration, of the journey from conflict to peace on this island, the experience and lessons to be learned from our most recent history and the rich history of our Irish language and its place in our culture and our heritage.

“It is for this reason that I have asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to review the optional nature of history under the new Framework for Junior Cycle.

“As part of their review I have also asked the NCCA to identify how we can best promote the study of history in our schools. I had an initial discussion of these matters with the NCCA yesterday and I expect to receive a report from the Council by the end of the first quarter of next year.”

Notes for Editors

September 2018 saw the rollout of new subject specifications for 5 additional Junior Cycle subjects – Mathematics, Home Economics, History, Geography and Music. This represents the fourth phase of subject rollout under the new Framework. The final phase will be in September 2019 when the Technology subjects, Religious Education, Jewish Studies and Classics will be rolled out.

Of the 21 subjects available under the Framework for Junior Cycle only 3 – Mathematics, Irish and English – are mandatory, reflecting the importance of students developing the basic skills of literacy and numeracy.

All of the other 18 subjects are optional, with schools having the flexibility to determine the curriculum choices to offer to their students.

The vast majority of schools already offer History at Junior Cycle and most students choose these subjects for examination although they have been mandatory only in voluntary secondary schools, which represent some 52% of all post-primary schools. The subject has been optional in Community and Comprehensive and in ETB schools.

Under the Framework for Junior Cycle, the minimum time allocated for subjects such as History will be 200 hours over the three years of Junior Cycle, or the equivalent of three 40-minute periods per week over three years. For many schools, this will lead to an increased time provision for History as a subject. Development of the new specification for History involved extensive consultation with key stakeholders and the public. The specification facilitates the development of skills such as interpreting a range of texts, communicating, working with others, critical thinking and managing information, particularly through the use of digital technology. It also offers the chance to better align junior cycle History with the experiences of pupils in primary school, and with the skills and knowledge required in senior cycle History, including document-handling and project work.