Parents and students united in support for Junior Cycle
Joint Press Statement
The National Parents' Council post-primary (NPCpp) and the Irish Second-level Students’ Union (ISSU) stand together in support for junior cycle reforms.Issuing a joint statement acknowledging the significant movement by the Minister for Education and Skills to bring about a resolution of outstanding issues and to introduce long-awaited reform of the junior cycle. According to Don Myers, President of the NPCpp, “We have met the Minister in recent months and re-iterated our support for junior cycle reform while also raising the specific concerns of parents. Our main concerns related to certification and a degree of external oversight of classroom assessment. The Minister said she would reflect on those concerns and her new proposal on junior cycle put before the Teachers’ unions clearly demonstrates that she is prepared to listen to concerns and produce proposals that address them. Craig McHugh a seventeen year old student and President of the Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU) said, “Students are hungry to see this significant reform on the ground in our schools. The current model isn’t fit for purpose. Our Students deserve a modern learning experience, one that promises them real skills and actually educates. Instead of providing us with the ability to rote-learn, it provides us with the ability to actually learn. Students are the largest stakeholder in our education system, and as their national representatives, we have no doubt that this new way of teaching and developing young learners will be far better for our students". Concluding both Mr. Myers and Mr. McHugh said, “It is our joint view that the framework for junior cycle reform put forward by the Minister for Education and Skills provides a very sound basis for finally breaking the impasse that has staggered this process. We would respectfully ask the teaching unions to return to talks – this package is good for students, good for parents and good for education. We believe it should be given a chance”. *** ENDS ***Contact 01-443 4461 / communications@issu.ie
Main Budget 2013 points which affect second-level students
Below is a brief summary of the main points of the 2013 Budget as they affect second-level students.
There will be a 2 point increase in the pupil teacher ratio in fee charging second level schools will be introduced in September 2013. €500,000 will be specifically allocated to tackling bullying in schools. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance has been reduced from €150 to €100 for primary school children and from €250 to €200 for secondary and third level students below the age of 22 for eligible recipients. The Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programmes is to be equalised with the PTR in mainstream second level schools, changing from 17:1 at present to 19:1. The introduction of the new Junior Cycle will be supported by an investment of €3 million in 2013, and €8.7 million in 2014. Child benefit payments will be reduced by €10 per month. At third level, the student contribution will rise by €250 in 2013 to €2,500 and by €250 for the following two years to €3,000 in 2015. There will also be a 3% reduction in the income threshold for entitlement to student grants. Disclaimer: This page is intended to give a brief outline of some of the measures of the 2013 Budget, of which full details are available here.
New Junior Cycle Puts Students at its Heart
ISSU welcomes details of Junior Cycle reform
The Irish Second-level Students’ Union (ISSU) warmly welcomes the details of Junior Cycle Reform which Minister Ruairi Quinn has announced today. The changes which have been announced today will put the student at the centre of their own education, and go a long way to ensuring that learning outcomes rather than exam performance are the main focus of junior cycle education in Ireland for years to come. The presence of English, Irish, Maths and Science as standardised tests will ensure that at it's core, the new Junior Cycle will preserve academic integrity, and it provides a clear statement on the importance of science in addition to the traditional core subjects of English, Irish and Maths. ISSU Education Officer, Brendan Power said: “The new Junior Cycle has the capacity to revolutionise the educational experience of future second-level students in Ireland. I firmly believe that the new Junior Cycle will result in a more practical and functional education for students and prepare them for life and future education, rather than train them for exams”.
Junior Cert - Technical Graphics
David - Higher Level
My last morning of my Junior cycle! :O .. I'm getting old!Anyway, I did the bare minimum amount of study for TG as I've always done well in it. I got 72% in the mocks from doing no study, and having done very few short questions and having revised the whole course and short questions in class, I saw little need.Short Question's - These were easy enough, no surprises. There are only 15 and you pick 10 to do, I attempted them all, but feel I only got 11 right, but that's full marks!Long Questions - No surprises here, all the same questions came up and I did questions 1,3,5 and 6.Q1 - Orthagraphic .. this was easy, plan, elevation, end view, surface s.. the same thing over and over again! I got on well in this one!Q3. This was axonametric view, which is easy enough, it takes a while though! >< Oh well.. the complicated image didn't help either. I didn't do fantastic in this one.Q4. Transformation Geomatry, my old pal, I got 69/70 on this in the mocks, the only thing that changes every year is the actual image. I got on well enough here, but I had some trouble with the rotation part :/Q6. Ellipse and porabola.. this was a VERY fair question, my mind just decided to say ''hehe, let's not work properly for him, it'll be funny'' . I messed up on this question.. and god am I pissed off! :/ Oh well as Noah and the whale said '' l i f e g o e s o n ''Anyway, this exam was fair! And I got on well enough despite having the Mexican song from the doritos ad stuck in my head for the duration!
Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union. Blogs are updated daily by 6.30 pm on scheduled examination dates
Minister Quinn welcomes Second Level Students’ Union proposals on naming the reformed junior cycle awards
Ruairi Quinn, T.D., Minister for Education and Skills today thanked the Irish Second Level Student’s Union for their report entitled “Naming the Reformed Junior Cycle”.Commenting on the report, the Minister said “I warmly welcome the effort that has been committed to this project by the ISSU. Their use of text messaging, social media, email and consultation sessions to engage students on the topic has set an excellent example for creating dialogue with the students themselves.”The report is being published on the Department’s website www.education.ie, and is being forwarded to education stakeholders for further discussion.The report includes a number of potential names for the reformed junior cycle, including STARS (School-based, Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System) and ICA (Irish Comprehensive Assessment).The report shows that students strongly welcome the proposed reforms and particularly the emphasis on active learning and the changed approach to assessment. One participant in the consultation stated “I think it will prepare students for life after the exams, instead of just for the exams”.In welcoming the report, Minister Quinn said “Young people are uniquely placed to take the lead in redesigning their learning. It is precisely this engagement and enthusiasm for self directed learning which we are trying to promote in the reforms, developing important skills which will serve throughout life”.
Junior Cycle Review
The ISSU National Board is calling on all second-level students to get involved with our submission to the NCCA (National Council of Curriculum & Assessment). We will be preparing our report in July with the intention to submit our findings in early August.The NCCA have published their inital findings in their document entitled "Innovation & Identity". A copy of the document can be seen below.
How to get involved
Email your thoughts, comments or suggestions to studentvoice@issu.ie or post them to "ISSU, 8th Floor, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1", leave a comment on the ISSU facebook or use the comment box at the end of this page.
- What are your thoughts on the current Junior Cycle programme, including the Junior Cert exam?
- Does the Junior Cycle assist in bridging the cap between Primary School and Second-Level School?
- What would you like to see in the Junior Cycle? Subjects, Exam style etc.
There is no set length or restrictions of any type on submissions. We encourage Student Council's to submit group applications on behalf of your school - however individual submissions are also accepted.[issuu layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml showflipbtn=true documentid=100405173814-a2f752c7ac504ca3820415314dbd5f19 docname=new_junior_cycle-2010 username=issu4u loadinginfotext=NCCA%3A%20Innovation%20%26%20Identity width=420 height=297 unit=px]