ISSU Statement : Second-Level Students’ Union Welcomes Senior Cycle Reform Announcement

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomes the recent announcement of plans for a reformed senior cycle. 

On Thursday, March 24th, the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, announced her vision for a reformed senior cycle with a number of actions including: 

• A redevelopment of subject curriculums so that each subject has an additional teacher-based component worth 40%.

• The introduction of two new subjects,Climate Action and Sustainable Development, and Film, Drama and Theatre Studies.

• A plan to revise and improve the Transition Year (TY) Programme, making it available to all students by 2024.

• A divide in exam times so that students entering Senior Cycle in 2023 will sit paper one in English and Irish at the end of 5th Year.

Speaking on the announcement, ISSU Uachtarán, Emer Neville said; “This announcement is one every student has been waiting patiently for years to see. Reform is finally being discussed and more importantly, actions for reform are being discussed, which we view as a tremendous start. The ISSU welcome all actions that were announced yesterday including the introduction of new subjects, the spacing out of exams, the TY review and continuous assessment. The changes here are really positive.” 

Emer further stated: “It’s important for students that this is only the beginning of reform, we still have a long way to go and a significant number of other reviews and reforms to begin. This includes an anticipated review of the CAO, but these are a fantastic start. These reforms signal a step towards a brighter future for the leaving certificate and an improved education exam structure for young people.” 

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