The Minister for Education asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to review the place of history in the new Junior Cycle curriculum. The NCCA recommended that to preserve the integrity of the Junior Cycle Framework, history should not be made compulsory. The Minister ignored the NCCA advice […]
Junior Cycle
Things that keep me up at night During the banking collapse we heard about the ‘golden circle’ of investors who attempted to shore up shares in Anglo-Irish Bank. The media was focused more on the fact that there was a ‘golden circle’ than on what they were trying to do. […]
Carl’s Curriculum Caper!
The Junior Cycle Framework (2011, 2012 and revised 2015) is the outcome of qualitative research carried out initially in 1999 (yup, that old) and recently there have been some articles in newspapers arguing against those people challenging the fact that neither history nor geography is included in the core curriculum […]
Tom’s Terrible Take
Chapter 4 – ‘Assessment and Evidence of Learning in Junior Cycle’. It has been my contention all along that if the learning experience of students in the classroom is negatively affected by the examination, then the examination has to change. Not the curriculum. It isn’t necessarily the case that […]
Junior Cycle Framework Part 5: Testing Times!
Chapter 5 of the Framework for a New Junior Cycle outlines the qualifications which will attach to the new Framework. The chapter opens with this rather wonderful line “The new junior cycle qualification will be more than just examinations”. The first bit of bad news here is that the NCCA […]
Junior Cycle Framework Part 6 – Because You’re Worth It!
Learning in the Junior Cycle Chapter 3 of the Framework is entitled ‘Learning in the Junior Cycle’ and opens with with this platitude: “The orientation of the new junior cycle – the rationale for change – is to place a greater emphasis on student learning, on the quality of […]
Junior Cycle Framework Part 4 – Can Johnny tie his ...
Vision, Values and Principles Values Chapter 2 of the Framework presents the ‘Vision, Values and Principles’ upon which the Junior Cycle will be based. It states : ‘Junior cycle education places students at the centre of the educational experience, enabling them to actively participate in their communities and in […]
Junior Cycle Framework Part 3 – The View from Above
In Part 1 of this series on the ‘Framework for Junior Cycle‘ I questioned the proposed ‘reform’ and presented some useful reading on this issue. Over the next few posts I am going to examine the proposals contained with the Framework publication itself – taking each chapter in turn. […]
Framework for Junior Cycle Part 2 – Hedging Bets
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” C.S. Lewis It would be nice to conclude my views of the ‘Towards a Framework for Junior Cycle’ in a short post. However, I believe to do so would be to limit myself […]