Earlier this year in response to the draft national plan to improve literacy and numeracy among children and young people the TUI set out its main concerns and perspectives on the ideas being put forward by the Department of Education and Skills in a detailed written submission. This was followed by a lengthy consultation meeting in conjunction with the ASTI.
The Minister for Education and Skills has now formally launched the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People. A number of ideas are of particular concern to TUI including:
- the review of entry to teacher education
- the extension of the PGDE (post-primary) with extended school placements from 2014
- a focus on all teachers having more responsibility to address the development of student competence in literacy and numeracy raising a number of issues including those related to CPD and planning
- a review of the Junior Cycle Programme and the Junior Certificate Examinations from 2013
- the introduction of the assessment of student progress (via standardised testing at end of second year at post- primary) and use of these to inform school planning, evaluation and also to inform national trends.
Click here to access the full strategy document
Click here to read the full TUI submission to the draft plan
Click here to read a summary of TUI's submission to the draft plan