Minister Foley launches rollout of new Senior Cycle subjects of Drama, Film and Theatre, and Climate Action and Sustainability
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From: Department of Education
- Published on: 11 September 2024
- Last updated on: 11 September 2024
Minister for Education Norma Foley today launched the two new Senior Cycle subjects: Leaving Certificate Drama, Film and Theatre Studies; and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
Following a call for applications earlier this year, 57 Phase One schools were selected to introduce Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and 43 schools to introduce Climate Action and Sustainable Development from the start of the 2025/26 school year.
This launch marks an important moment in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme and the Minister’s vision for a Senior Cycle that provides young people with an opportunity to study a range of subjects that align with their talents and passions.
Drama, Film and Theatre Studies will promote and encourage creativity as a basis for learning through immersive experiences. Students will have the opportunity to cultivate informed thinking through learning supported by creative and critical processes.
Climate Action and Sustainable Development will develop students’ capacity for informed and meaningful action for a just and sustainable world as they engage with key sustainability challenges including the climate crisis. Students will be empowered to build their understanding of a number of interconnected core concepts and principles related to climate action and sustainable development.
At the launch event in the Irish Film Institute this afternoon, Minister Foley said:
“These subjects are being introduced to provide greater choice for students at senior cycle and to allow students to demonstrate their competencies and learning in new curricular areas.
“Outgoing UN Youth Ambassadors and activists Alicia Joy O’Sullivan and Mohammad Naeem, and Eimear Manning, Youth and Climate Justice Development Officer at the National Youth Council join us today. I know they will all bring their own interesting perspectives as activists engaged with climate action and inspire our students to think about the contribution they could make in the future.
“Also helping us to launch the new subjects today are Colm Bairéad and Cleona Ní Chrualaoi, renowned film makers behind An Cáilín Ciúin, and award-winning director Dearbhla Walsh. I am especially pleased to welcome Alisha Weir, a young Irish actress who we will all recognise from Matila the Musical, and who has many successes as well as upcoming exciting projects ahead of her.
“In Ireland, we are renowned worldwide for our contributions to the arts and I hope this new subject, Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, will help students to consider careers in the arts industry. And who knows, some of the future students of this subject may have memorable nights at the Oscars in years to come.”
Minister Foley said the introduction of Climate Action and Sustainable Development, is also a very important step in the redevelopment of Senior Cycle:
“We have all seen in recent years how school students have engaged with and led actions to address climate change and promote sustainability. As always, it is our responsibility to nurture and encourage our students to continue to contribute to solutions designed to protect our world.
“The applications received by schools interested in being in the first phase of schools to introduce these two new subjects to their students, demonstrated yet again the extraordinary talent, qualifications, experience, and commitment by teachers in schools across Ireland. The level and variety of current subject provision in the selected schools and the enthusiasm shown by their school leaders, teachers, students and school communities was nothing short of exemplary and I have every confidence that the rollout of both subjects will be a success. I am most pleased for the students in the 100 post primary schools across the country who will experience either Drama, Film and Theatre Studies or Climate Action and Sustainable Development at Senior Cycle in this first phase and who will have the opportunity to develop their learning in these two new areas.”
Notes for the editor
Senior Cycle Redevelopment
In 2022, the Minister set out an ambitious programme for the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, guided by the vision of a Senior Cycle that delivers “equity and excellence for all.”
The programme is informed by, and builds upon, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA) Advisory Report on the review of Senior Cycle, as well as the experience of Leaving Certificate students, a growing demand for change and international experience and perspectives.
The Minister for Education announced an acceleration of the programme on 20 September 2023, including that revised specifications for seven existing Leaving Certificate established subjects (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Arabic, Latin, Ancient Greek, and Business) will be introduced in schools from the 2025/26 school year.
Part of these transformative developments include the introduction of the two new Senior Cycle subjects of Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development.
Each of these new and revised subject specifications will incorporate additional assessment components (AACs) that are not a traditional written examination, which will be worth a minimum of 40% of the available marks and will be externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC).
The AAC in Climate Action and Sustainable Development consists of an Action Project which provides students with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts and principles they have learned throughout the course, while also employing the practical strategies and thinking they have developed to learn to take action in the area of Climate Action and Sustainable Development. The Action Project will be worth 40% of the available marks in the subject.
The AAC in Drama, Film and Theatre Studies consists of a Creativity in Practice Project in which students will respond to a common brief to develop and create a piece of film or theatre, in tandem with the relevant pre-production materials. The Creativity in Practice Project will be worth 50% of the available marks in the subject.
The two new subjects will be introduced in schools on a phased basis from the start of the 2025/26 school year.
Following an open call to schools for applications in April 2024, 57 schools were selected to introduce Drama, Film and Theatre Studies, and 43 schools to introduce Climate Action and Sustainable Development. The final selection of 100 schools took account of school types, location, size, DEIS status and Irish language classification, ensuring that the final selection reflects the broad composition of schools across Ireland that applied to be part of the process.
The introduction of the new subjects on a phased basis across these 100 schools initially is in line with the approach to the introduction of Leaving Certificate Physical Education (PE) and Computer Science in recent years.
The introduction of these new subjects will be supported by Oide, the support service for teachers and school leaders, with an extensive programme of Teacher Professional Learning, beginning in the 2024/25 school year.