Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697803664888.pdf (Ireland)
Future of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Irish Education Opening Statement by Arlene Forster, CEO of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), to the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

I thank the Chair and Committee Members for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Arlene Forster and I’m the Chief Executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
I’m joined by Diarmuid Mooney, Acting Director, Curriculum and Assessment.

Background information on NCCA The Council is a representative structure.

It advises the Minister on the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects which are part of the curriculum (Education Act, 1998, 41.1 a, b).
From a curriculum perspective, STEM education goes beyond individual or groups of subjects, courses, modules and units.

It contributes to young people’s education and their lives by enabling them to acquire knowledge and understanding about how the world works; developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills; fostering their curiosity and nurturing creativity, innovation and risk-taking; and empowering them to use all of this to respond to real-world problems.
The STEM area features strongly in NCCA’s work from early childhood to senior cycle education.

This work is informed by research, close engagement with schools and settings, public consultation and by deliberation with the education partners, as well as by government policy on STEM education.

NCCA’s current work involves the redevelopment of the curriculum for 11 years of a young person’s educational journey—their primary education and the senior cycle of their post- primary education.
This morning I’d like to highlight the STEM-related work planned as part of this redevelopment.

Primary education Ireland’s first curriculum framework for primary education was launched by Minister Foley on 9 March this year.

The framework sets out a clear direction for the redevelopment of the full primary curriculum.
It builds on children’s early experiences supported by Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (2009) and the current Primary School Curriculum (1999) through introducing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education for all children from junior infants to sixth class.

The framework also introduces seven key 1 competencies two of which relate to STEM - ‘Being mathematical’ and ‘Being a digital learner’.
These competencies will be integrated across the full curriculum and extend learning in STEM as children are supported to be curious, creative, confident and critical users of technology as well as developing and applying mathematical thinking and logic to solve problems.

Informed by the framework, NCCA recently completed a new Primary Mathematics Curriculum which is with the Minister for consideration.
This new curriculum is designed to foster children’s productive disposition; encourage playfulness with mathematics; emphasise mathematical modelling and use cognitively challenging tasks to stretch and challenge children’s conceptual understanding; and promote ‘maths talk’ encouraging children to express their mathematical strategies, thinking and ideas.
Current plans would see this new mathematics curriculum being introduced in schools in the 2023/2024 school year with work on the wider STEM curriculum area being completed in 2025.

Post-primary education Turning to post-primary, a range of curriculum components including subjects, modules, short courses and Priority Learning Units (PLUs) support STEM education in second-level schools.
As part of Junior Cycle, the 2015 Framework supports learning through eight principles, twenty-four statements of learning and eight key skills, all of which play a crucial role in the development of STEM education.

Senior Cycle has seen a number of developments that support STEM education now and into the future.

These include the introduction in 2018 of Leaving Certificate Computer Science and a redeveloped Applied Mathematics Curriculum in 2021.
As part of the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme, STEM-related modules were recently redeveloped.

These include Mathematical Application, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) along with a precursor module ‘Introduction to Information and Communications Technology’.

Following Minister Foley’s announcement last year and her response to NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review: Advisory Report (2022), the redevelopment of senior cycle is a key priority for the Council.
As part of this, NCCA is currently developing a schedule for the review and (re)development of senior cycle specifications which will include STEM curriculum components.

These developments will be supported by a Key Competency Framework which will include key competencies that support the development of learning across senior cycle as a whole and which will contribute significantly to STEM education.

Further information on NCCA’s work on STEM education is provided in our written submission.
My colleague and I are happy to answer questions Members may have.

Thank you.

ENDS 2