Published on 

Minister launches third quarterly progress report on the Action Plan for Education 2019

The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. today (Thursday 31 October) welcomed the publication of the Action Plan for Education 2019 Quarter 3 Progress Report.

The Action Plan – Cumasú is emphasising empowering through learning and highlights the significant strategic reform programme under way in the education and training sector. This enables the Department to respond in an agile way to the demands of today’s society at the same time as maintaining a focus on sustainable, carefully paced reform, in order to empower learners.

Today’s publication is the third such report for 2019. Making the reports publicly available supports a transparent process whereby our activity is visible in a very clear way. The quarter 3 report shows the progress made on the 45 actions due for delivery over the last few months. It provides details on achievements and an update on actions where significant progress has been made, but where it has been necessary to adjust the target date.

Commenting on the report, Minister McHugh said:

I welcome today’s publication of the third progress report on the Action Plan for Education 2019 and the update it provides on our progress towards achieving our strategic goals.

Our achievements over the last quarter show that we are continuing to respond to the needs of learners and providers, raise aspirations, building on existing links and relationships and put the right systems in place to really empower through education and training.

This will benefit both individuals and our wider society and so I’m happy to mark today’s publication.

A total of 36 actions have been achieved (a completion rate of 80%), including:

 

  • Publishing, in conjunction with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC), the Education (Student and Parent) Charter Bill.
  • Completing a public consultation on the circulars governing the granting of exemptions from the study of Irish.
  • Publishing the new Primary Language Curriculum/Teanga na Bunscoile for junior infants to sixth class.
  • Developing a programme of CPD to support the introduction of the Primary Maths Curriculum.
  • Increasing the number of post-primary schools participating in the Foreign Language Assistants scheme.
  • Reducing the timeframe for the Leaving Certificate appeals process.
  • Implementing online marking of examinations in an expanded range of subjects.
  • Recruiting of 10 additional NEPS psychologists.
  • Publishing the third edition of "Terms & Conditions of Employment for Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools".
  • Progressing the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund to project confirmation stage, supporting expansion of capacity and key skills needs.
  • Overseeing development of, and annual calls for, Springboard+
  • Publishing "Education Indicators for Ireland" report in order to provide a sound basis for evidence-informed policy making across the sector