600 schools left without funding for digital devices
Most schools will be given no extra Government funding for digital equipment vital to the teaching and examination of new Leaving Certificate computer science and physical education (PE) subjects.
Education Minister Richard Bruton announced a fortnight ago that his department is providing grants worth €450,000 for devices needed by students at around 100 schools picked as the first to introduce them from September.
But more than 600 other second-level schools must fund such equipment themselves if they wish to begin teaching the new subjects later.
Schools wishing to introduce these new subjects from September 2020 as part of [the] national rollout should ensure they have the required ICT equipment in time, the Department of Education said.
“They can, in this regard, deploy some of the ICT infrastructure grants paid to schools under the Digital Strategy for Schools towards this purpose,” it said.
The Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents more than half of all second-level schools, said it expects that this position should change.
“We welcome the support for schools introducing the subjects this year, and we’d like to think the same support would be forthcoming for those engaging with them in 2020,” said JMB general secretary, John Curtis.
He said clarification on the future funding situation will be sought in meetings with Mr Bruton’s officials scheduled in the coming weeks.
Almost 370 second-level schools — more than half the entire number — applied to take part in the first phase of the new Leaving Certificate PE subject, before Mr Bruton named the 64 selected schools in February. Another 40 schools were chosen to offer computer science for the first time this year.
Mr Bruton said there is a commitment to investing €150m in ICT infrastructure over the next three years, in addition to €30m provided to all schools this year and last year. The specifications of the ICT devices required for Leaving Certificate PE and computer science will be communicated to schools at a later date.
The first-phase PE schools are being given €350 to buy a digital device for every two students beginning the subject this September in fifth-year, and who will be examined in the Leaving Certificate in 2020.
As part of the course assessment component, students must digitally record their performances over eight to 10 weeks in one of the three physical activities they choose to study.
They can choose from a wide range of activities, which can include team sports, athletics, dance, and rock-climbing, and may choose to focus on developing personal performance, coaching, or choreography skills.
The 64 schools teaching PE as an examinable Leaving Certificate subject from this year will also get €750 for the hardware needed to upload students’ performance recordings for assessment. The total grants to be paid out for the new PE subject are expected to be around €330,000, depending on total student numbers at the relevant schools.
A €3,000 grant for connector devices is being provided to schools introducing computer science this year.
