Down with exams! Why the Junior Cert is ripe for reform

The Junior Cert is unlikely to be scrapped completely as part of the latest government plans for reform of second level education.

But the new version of the junior cycle is likely to be unrecognisable from the present system.

Depending on how far the new Education Minister Mary Coughlan wishes to go, the switch to a new junior cycle will result in the biggest shake-up of second level education for two decades.

The system of lower secondary education, where pupils follow a curriculum for three years and are assessed almost exclusively by exams at the end, is likely to be dismantled.

At a recent launch of a consultation process on the junior cycle the new Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan signalled her strong support for reform.

The future shape of the junior cycle looks unclear, but senior advisers and the minister herself are decided on what they want to get away from.

They want to reduce repetition in first year, break the stranglehold of rote learning and reduce the importance of the final Junior Cert exam as the sole method of assessment.

One student seemed to sum up the attitude of many pupils to the exam when he was questioned by the ESRI for a report on second level education: "The Junior Cert, like, doesn't do anything ... ''

As one education trade unionist put it, "There is a growing feeling that the exam tail is wagging the education dog.''

Under the new system, it appears students will not have to sit an exam in many of their subjects as a much greater emphasis is placed on continuous assessment.

There is strong speculation in education circles that the exam element of the junior cycle may be stripped down to three or four core subjects including English, Irish and Maths.

Officials in The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) are closely studying school systems in other countries.

Among the models that are being considered is the system that operates in Slovenia.

Students take external exams in three subjects -- their mother tongue (equivalent to English), maths and a third subject.

One of the major problems in the junior cycle, identified by the minister, education officials and most teachers, is curriculum overload.

There is a consensus that requiring students to take up to 14 subjects is having a damaging effect.

As the NCCA's consultation document on the junior cycle puts it: "In the current definition of subjects, success is represented in terms of an ever-increasing amount of knowledge without significant reference to the quality of the learner's engagement with content.''

"In the current junior cycle there are much too many subjects,'' John Fennell, principal of Killinarden Community School, told The Irish Independent. "There is not enough emphasis on learning key skills such as literacy and numeracy.''

In its consultation paper on the junior cycle, the NCCA cites the Killinarden school's work with first years as an example of an innovative approach that could be followed.

The school is experimenting with a new timetable for a group of first year pupils, where it makes three classes available each morning for the development of literacy and numeracy skills.

The students have choices about the kind of activities they take part in. Much of the activity is centred on the school library.

Fennell said: "It has been a great success with these students. It gives them the skills they need for learning.''

One of the aims of the Killinarden programme is to smooth the transition from primary to second level education.

Recent research from the ESRI indicates that nationally many students do not make an easy jump from primary to secondary, and this can cause lasting damage.

The ASTI's education officer Moira Leydan said teachers would welcome reform, but she said that the changes must be properly resourced.

"The present model where there are too many subjects is not allowing enough time for developing skills such as literacy.

"At the same time there is a feeling among teachers that the present system is not unleashing a desire for learning. Many students become switched off in second year.

"While teachers would like to see changes, they have legitimate concerns about how they can be implemented when staffing and other resources in schools are being cut.''

One of the most radical NCCA proposals is to give schools much more control of the curriculum.

Schools are likely to play a key role in devising their own courses, and students may be consulted on course content.

The NCCA points to the example of Manitoba in Canada where schools develop their own curriculum to reflect local needs and interests. In a farming community, for example, students might learn meat cutting.

Certain programmes in Manitoba are developed by the students themselves, under teacher supervision.

Student-initiated projects are based on the special interests of the student and can relate to a career that they might like to follow in the future. The students receive credits for the projects.

Among the most radical schools being looked at by the NCCA are the Kunskapsskolan schools in Sweden. The pupils choose themselves what they will participate in during the school day. They are supported by a personal tutor who helps to "manage their learning''.

The open plan Swedish schools have no corridors. Pupils work in "multi-functional circulation areas'' and private study booths.

- Kim Bielenberg

Irish Independent