Primary schools will cut religion teaching time and begin teaching foreign languages in the biggest curriculum changes in more than 20 years under new proposals.
The new curriculum will allocate more time to wellbeing and cut religion time by half an hour. These changes under the new framework for the primary curriculum that was recently signed off by the State’s advisory body on the curriculum.
Religion would also be supported by a new curriculum on “religion, ethical and multi-belief education”, to give pupils a wider perspective on beliefs, reports the Irish Times. This idea was originally proposed back in 2016 but was shelved amid resistance from the Catholic Church to its introduction alongside faith formation classes.
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The new curriculum will also include the following key changes:
Foreign languages from third class onwards, with an hour a week on French, Spanish, German or whatever language is prioritised by the school;
Seven hours of “flexible time” per month to allow schools focus on priority areas of learning decided by individual schools such as maths, languages, art, etc.;
Three hours a week focused on wellbeing, with topics including belonging, resilience and physical activity;
Emphasis on art with at least two hours a week on music, drama, dance, film and digital media;
Individual subjects during the first half of primary school will be replaced by broader “curriculum areas” which will include maths/science/technology; languages; arts education; wellbeing; and social, personal and health education (SPHE);
Key competencies will be introduced that will link closely with Aistear – the preschool curriculum – and Junior Cycle at secondary school.
The place of religion in the school day has been the most contentious aspect of the reform process to date. Some reformers are keen to see faith formation outside the school day altogether but this has been resisted by faith-based schools.
This new framework will allow schools to retain their focus on religious or denominational patron’s programmes, but for a shorter period of the school day. It was the subject of an extensive consultation process, overseen by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). It will guide the development of a new curriculum that will shape how children learn over the coming decades.
The development of all curriculum area specifications is expected to be completed by summer 2026 and the speed of the roll-out of the changes will be a matter for the then minister for education. It is expected that among the first children to be taught under the new curriculum will be born 2021 onwards.
According to policymakers the changes will build on the strengths of the old 1999 primary school curriculum, while responding to challenges and changing needs and priorities. These reforms, they argue, give schools increased agency and flexibility in their role as “curriculum-makers”.
The 40-page blueprint will likely be published by Minister for Education Norma Foley early next year.
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