New courses are 'nearly obsolete'
A number of modernised Leaving Certificate courses could be obsolete before they are introduced in classrooms, teachers have warned.
They are concerned at the decision by Education Minister Mary Hanafin to delay the implementation of two new technology courses and a revised art syllabus on cost grounds.
"There is a genuine risk developing that new syllabi will be outdated before they are actually implemented. "This is an insult not just to those involved in designing new courses, but to students, parents and teachers" said Teachers Union of Ireland education and research officer Bernie Judge.
A new engineering technology syllabus is supposed to replace engineering, which has being taught in the same way since it was introduced in early 1980s.
Ms Hanafin had also promised an architectural technology course to replace construction studies.
There was an expectation that both new technology courses would be introduced next autumn, as part of a package that saw two others rolled out last September.
A new art syllabus was finalised over four years ago, to replace one that has been in schools for 30 years or more, but it, too, is on hold.
Ms Judge said the Department of Education had "offered the pitiful excuse that insufficient resources are available".
"At a time when the country continues to enjoy unprecedented economic success, blaming budgetary constraints shows nothing but contempt for education stakeholders," she said.
In relation to the delay in introducing the revised art syllabus, Ms Judge said it was not fair that subjects such as this were sacrificed while priority was given to others like maths.
She said there would have been a lot of pressure from economic circles to push ahead with maths reform, which was important, but there should not be a trade-off.
Art teacher Trish O'Callaghan of Wexford said she was working in a new school with a new art room equipped with six computers, but now they didn't have the new syllabus to exploit their use.
- Katherine Donnelly
