The Primary Curriculum Framework was launched by the Minister on 9 March 2023.
This Framework is for all primary and special schools and will guide teachers and school leaders in their work to enhance learning, teaching and assessment for all children through the new curriculum.
The voices from the consultation on the framework, in particular, the voices of children, indicate the need for a curriculum that supports all children, celebrating their current childhood experiences, and preparing them for their future experiences.
The Framework sets out the vision, principles and components of a redeveloped Primary School Curriculum.
Parents and guardians play a key role in their child’s education. The new curriculum for primary and special schools promotes a partnership approach which will encourage increased communication between schools and parents. This aims to keep parents and guardians informed of their child’s progress in school and the school informed of the child’s learning at home.
Parents and guardians have already influenced the content of the new curriculum and will continue to do so as more public consultations take place on the areas and subjects of the new curriculum in 2024. These consultations will be widely advertised by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)- https://ncca.ie/en/updates-and-events/consultations/
A leaflet and Irish Sign Language video can be found here that have been created to assist parents and guardians in understanding the changes that have happened and will happen over the coming years in our primary and special schools.
The leaflet is available in the following languages:
- English
- Gaeilge
- Polish
- Lithuanian
- Ukrainian
- Russian
- Latvian
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Mandarin Chinese
The Department will continue to communicate with all stakeholders, including parents and guardians over the coming months and years to ensure that the new curriculum is a success.
The Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile for stages 1–4 (junior infants to sixth class) was published in September 2019 and is part of the new curriculum.
The curriculum reflects the principles and pedagogies of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009) and it supports continuity between children’s learning and development in early childhood settings and in infant classes. In its Strands, Elements and Learning Outcomes, the PLC/CTB is aligned with the junior cycle specifications for English, Irish and Modern Foreign Languages. This provides for continuity of experience and progression in language learning as children make the transition from pre-school to primary to post-primary school. The curriculum also provides progression for children with special educational needs.
The curriculum is supported by an online Primary Language Toolkit/Uirlisí Úsáide Teanga na Bunscoile. The toolkit has recently been updated and now includes additional Support Information, related to the Examples of Children’s Learning/Samplaí d’Fhoghlaim Teanga na bPáistí, and which include detail on the classroom context presented in the Examples, as well as the choices made by the teacher in preparing, teaching and assessing children’s learning. These might be particularly useful as teachers engage with the curriculum at a whole-school level.
The toolkit also presents newly developed Support Materials for teachers/Ábhar Tacaíochta do Mhúinteoirí supporting Irish in English-medium school, Digital Literacy, and Linguistic Diversity through the curriculum. The design of the Progression Continua/Contanaim Dul chun Cinn has also been updated to support teachers as they work with the learning outcomes of the curriculum. You can access the online curriculum and toolkit by visiting www.curriculumonline.ie/Primary/Curriculum-Areas/Primary-Language/
Letter to schools 12/04/2021 – Sustained Support for PLC/CTB and Guidelines on Preparation for Teaching and Learning
April 2021
Download link for
Download
View the file
View
The Minister for Education launched the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum on 7th September 2023. The Primary Mathematics Curriculum is part of the new curriculum for primary and special schools and is fully aligned with the Primary Curriculum Framework published in March 2023. The Primary Mathematics Curriculum offers an engaging, playful and inclusive learning experience for children, focusing on both the "how" and "what" of mathematical learning. The aim of the new mathematics curriculum is that children see mathematics as important and useful to their everyday lives.
School leaders and teachers will have the 2023/2024 academic year to become familiar with the Primary Mathematics Curriculum and teachers will be able to use aspects of it in their classrooms. Implementation of the new mathematics curriculum will start from the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year.
Parents and guardians play a key role in their child’s education.
A leaflet and Irish Sign Language video can be found below that have been created to assist parents and guardians in understanding the new mathematics curriculum.
The leaflet is available in the following languages:
- English
- Irish
- Chinese
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Ukrainian
- Irish Sign Language
You can find out more on