Transcript Irish Vocational Education Association

Irish Education & Training System
PRESENTATION
12 June 2014
• ETBI (Est.1902) represents
Ireland’s 16 ETBs.
• Recognised in statute (Education
& Training Boards Act 2013) as ‘the
association
established
to
collectively represent education and
training boards and promote their
interests, which is recognised by
the Minister for the purposes of this
Act’
Ireland - Population
2008
Republic of Ireland
4,350,000
Northern Ireland
1,750,000
All Ireland - Population 1841
8,175,000
Legislative Framework
Universities Act 1997
Education Act 1998
Education (Welfare) Act 2000
Teaching Council Acts 2001 and 2006
Education for Persons with Special Educational
Needs Act 2004
The Equal Status Acts 2000 and 2004
Education Act 1998 – Long Title
An Act: (Long Title)
• To make provision in the interests of the common good for
the education of every person in the state, including any
person with a disability or who has other special
educational needs.
• To provide generally for primary, post-primary, adult and
continuing education and vocational education and training.
• To ensure that the education system is accountable to
students, their parents and the state for the education
provided,
respects the diversity of values, beliefs,
languages and traditions in Irish society and is conducted in a
spirit of partnership between schools, patrons, students,
parents, teachers and other school staff, the community
served by the school and the state;
Education Act 1998 – Long Title (Contd.
An Act: (Long Title)
• To provide for the recognition and funding
of schools and their management through
boards of management.
• To provide for an inspectorate of schools.
• To provide for the role and responsibilities
of principals and teachers.
• To establish the national council for
curriculum and assessment (NCCA) and to
make provision for it, and to provide for
related matters.
Education Welfare Act 2000 – Long Title
to provide for the entitlement of every child in the
state to a certain minimum education, and, for that
purpose to provide for:
 the registration of children receiving education in places
other than recognised schools,
 the compulsory attendance of certain children at recognised
schools,
 the establishment of a body, to be known as the National
Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) the coordination of its
activities and those of certain other persons in so far as they
relate to matters connected with school attendance,
 the identification of the causes of non-attendance on the
part of certain students and the adoption of measures for
its prevention,
Equal Status Act 2000 – Long Title
• To promote equality and prohibit
types of discrimination, harassment
and related behaviour in connection
with the provision of services, property
and other opportunities to which the
public generally or a section of the public
has access,
• to provide for investigating and
remedying certain discrimination and
other unlawful activities,
Equal Status Act 2000 – Long Title
Prohibits discrimination on grounds of:
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Gender
Marital status
Family status
Sexual orientation
Religion
Age
Disability
Race
Membership of the
But school admissions are
exempt under the
Education Act, which gives
schools the right to refuse
admission based on
religion, if this is to
maintain the ethos of the
school.
Traveller community
Teaching Council Act 2001
6.—The objects of
the Council shall
be—
(a) to regulate the teaching profession and
the professional conduct of teachers,
(b) to establish and promote the
maintenance and improvement of
standards of—
(i) programmes of teacher education and
training,
(ii) teaching, knowledge, skill and
competence of teachers in recognised
primary and post-primary schools, and
(iii) professional conduct of teachers,
and
(c) to promote the continuing education
and training and professional development
S.30 Teaching Council Act
• Commenced 28 January 2014
• All teachers (1st & 2nd level) must be registered
with Teaching Council – to be paid out of State
funds.
• Council is introducing new model for initial teacher
education (ITE) which involves appropriately
experienced/competent teachers.
• Teaching Council now in a position to commence using
its ‘fitness to practice’ powers/function.
• Council has put in place induction & probation
process for all entering teaching profession.
• Council working on making renewal of registration
dependent on completion of particular kinds of CPD.
EPSEN Act 2001
Inclusive education
S2.—A child with special educational needs
shall
be educated in an inclusive environment with
children who do not have such needs unless the
nature or degree of those needs of the child is such
that to do so would be inconsistent with—
(a) the best interests of the child as determined in
accordance with any assessment carried out under this
Act, or
(b) the effective provision of education for children
with whom the child is to be educated.
Admin. Structures – 1st 2nd Level
• No major regional or local administrative
structures for primary schools and for 66% of
2nd level schools – highly centralised.
• Each school has a Board of Management and
a Patron.
• Each school (except ETB 2nd level schools) deals
directly with the Department of Education and
Skills (finance, staffing, grants, buildings, rules
and regulations, etc.)
• Only 1% of education budget goes on the
central administration of the system!!!!!
leadership/Management Challenges
•Schools lack fit-for-purpose middle-management
structures.
•Principal expected to lead and manage everything.
•No clear route/process for developing school
leaders.
•Principals (2nd level in particular) overburdened –
few applications for principalships.
•Questions about capacity of boards to manage
schools. Schools very complex institutions.
•Schools governed by 500+ circulars & raft of
Guidelines, Procedures, etc.
Structure of Schooling
Age 6-12 years
1st – 6th classes
• Nearly all 5-year-olds
are at school.
• About half of 4-yearolds attend school.
• Children may not be
enrolled at primary
school before the age of
4.
School Year/Week/Day
• Primary School (1st level) 183 days – 5 hours 40
minutes teaching per school day
• Post Primary (2nd level) 167 days – 22 hours class
teaching per week – 28 hours of classes for students
per week,
• Primary school pupil teacher ratio 28:1
• Post Primary school pupil teacher ratio 19:1
• Teachers now required to do up to 43 hours
Supervision & Substitution per year.
• Teachers now required to do extra 33 hours
annually – staff meetings, parent teacher meetings,
school and subject dept. planning meetings
TYPES of Primary School Patron
Primary School (1st level)
• 96% of primary schools are denominational
(church patrons) arising from the historical
development of Irish primary education. See
Report of Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in
the Primary Sector.
• Increasing demand for new forms of multidenominational and non-denominational
schooling, as well as for Irish language
schooling.
Struture of Post Primary Education
Broad General Curriculum incorporating both
Academic & Vocational Subjects
Junior Cycle Education: 12-15 – being reformed
• 3 year programme
• Terminal Examination
• Broad range of subjects
Senior Cycle: Age 15-18
• Transition Year (optional)
• Leaving Certificate Established OR
• Leaving Cert. Vocational Programme LCVP OR
• Leaving Certificate Applied LCA
Education in Out of School Settings
Youthreach Centres
• Available to those (15-20) who don’t do
well in school environment.
• Some 3,000 participants
• Provides combined general education,
vocational education & work experience.
• More flexible and less formal approach
than schools offer.
• 70%+ proceed to further education /training
or employment.
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)
Ireland now has a 10 level qualifications
framework. This provides:
• Recognition for all learning achievements.
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through all education and
training awards in
Ireland
A structure of levels that enables learning
achievements to be measured and related
The State school examinations are included at
• Level 3 – Junior Certificate
• Levels 4 and 5 – Leaving Certificate
At levels 4 and 5 there are other ‘equivalent’ type
qualifications to the Leaving Certificate.
National Framework (NFQ)
F/T Students in DES Funded
Institutions 10/11
First Level
Second Level
509,652
356,107
Voluntary Secondary (54%)
186,622
Community/Comprehensive (12%)
54,724
16 Education Training
Boards (33%) 114,761
Third Level
161,647
Institutes of Technology (13)
62,285
HEA Colleges – Univ. (excl. RCSI)
89,273
Other - incl. teacher training
Colleges
9,489
Total
1,027,406
Irish – Second Level Ed.
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No IVET System as such.
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2nd level Curriculum is very broad.
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all students take English, Irish Maths and 4
other subjects from: History, Geography, Business,
Accounting, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
French, German, Spanish,, Art, Music, Building
Construction, Engineering, Agricultural Science,
Design and Communication Graphics, Religious Ed. …
33 in total.
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However, curriculum offered depends on school
– some have very academic curriculum; others more
comprehensive curriculum.
F/T ‘Teachers’ in Institutions
Funded by the DES 10/11
First Level
32,489
Second Level
26,185
Total
58,674
No of Schools Funded by DES
10/11
First Level
Second Level
Secondary
Community & Comprehensive
Vocational (VEC)
Total
3,305
729
383
92
254
4,034
Leaving Cert. Retention Rates 2012
No sitting Leaving Certificate
2012
57,539
90.2%
Increase of 9% in 11 years
Females (Gap 9% in 2007)
91.8%
Males
88.7%
Target 2020 (EGFSN)
90%
EGFSN Target: Transfer to 3rd Level to
increase from 55% to 72% by 2020
Currently 66%+
Early School Leavers 2012
• No of early school leavers decreased
by 10.6% from 13% in 2004 to
10.6% and well below EU average of
14%.
• Ireland – one of highest % of 20-
24 year olds with at least second
level education in EU – 87.%
against EU average of 80%.
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Current Issues in 2nd Level Schools
School Leadership/Management.
No Performance Appraisal.
Too much focus on Terminal Exams
Reforming Teaching/Learning – AFL.
Junior Cycle Education Reform.
Industrial Relations Climate.
Appropriate CPD
PISA results 2009 – 2012!!!!
Student well-being – guidance & counselling.
School Self Evaluation.
Moratorium on promotion and cutbacks.
FURTHER EDUCATION & TRAINING (FET)
•Until 2013 Further Education provided by 33 Vocational
Education Committees (VECS) and training was provided by
the National Training & Employment Authority (FÁS).
•FE provision grew like topsy (from 80s on) – no FE sector
– an amalgam of programmes initiatives.
•2013/14 VECs & FÁS (Further Education and
Training – FET) amalgamated to form 16 Education and
Training Boards (ETBs) – process will be completed in
2014.
•2013 A national Further Education & Training Authority
(SOLAS) established.
•SOLAS responsibility for funding, planning and coordinating FET provision that is both responsive to the
needs of learners and the requirements of an ever-changing
economy.
ETB Further Education Provision
Further Education Provision in Nos
• Adult Literacy (AL) – 56,797 (including ESOL)
• Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) 30,000
• Community Education (CE) – 55,000
• Voc. Ed. Training Opport. Scheme (VTOS) 5,637
• Skills for Work (SfW) - 1,500
• Labour Market Activation (LMA) - 3,000
• Youthreach (ESL) - 3,313
• Prisoner Education – 1,700
246,000
• Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) 33,748
• Wide range of self financing programmes 55,000
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET
• Image – parents want sons/daughters to go to third
level education – though studies in EU and US claim
that by 2020 65% of jobs will be in mid to low
skills.
• Poor permeability between FET & 3rd level.
• Very narrow apprenticeship system – construction
& mechanical mainly – very few now in
apprenticeship – see recent Review of Apprenticeship
recommends a major expansion of apprenticeship in
Ireland.
• Further Education courses involve insufficient real
workplace learning – see recent review of
further education (PLC courses).
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET (Contd. 1)
• System lacks coherence – vast array of different,
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separately funded, separately managed
programmes – each with its own eligibility and
access rules – a series of separate silos – each
known by a 3 letter acronym (TLA).
Difficult for learners & prospective learners to
understand.
Concerns about standards & quality assurance.
Considerable duplication.
Lacks a clear connection between the workplace &
the FET provider.
Education & training – running on separate
tracks ‘til recently.
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET (Contd. 2)
• Concerns about the extent to which FET providers
provide the knowledge, skills, competences &
dispositions required in today & tomorrow’s workforce.
• Buildings, facilities & teaching resources for FET
can be of poor quality.
• The principal FET Programme (PLC courses) part of
2nd level system – using school buildings and school
models of delivery – full time courses, 9.00am to
4.00pm each day, for 30 weeks of year.
• No clear connection between national
economic/industry policy & the FET provision.
• Lack of data regarding FET outcomes,
progression, etc.
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET (Contd. 3)
• No clear national approach to distance
learning, blended learning, recognition of prior
learning (RPL).
• Lack of agreement about how to measure
learner progress (in the absence of
accreditation)– just numbers of participants.
• Educational levels being treated as proxies
for skills.
• Now a possible overemphasis on
accreditation.
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET (Contd. 4)
• Lack of data regarding FET outcomes,
progression, etc.
• Little uniformity in pay & conditions for FET
tutors.
• Inadequate information & guidance for learners
& prospective learners.
• Moratorium on employment means those who
manage/support provision not being
replaced.
• No clear connectivity between national
economic/industry policy & the FET
provision.
CURRENT ISSUES IN FET (Contd. 5)
• Many effective and/or qualified tutors paid at the
unqualified rate so not entitled to incremental
salaries.
• Terms & conditions for teachers/tutors quite
inflexible – probably need to use more contracted
provision than permanent employees to deliver
FET.
• Current crisis means introducing salary scales for
‘qualified/competent’ tutors – would negatively
impact on amount of provision.
• No national approach to qualifying and continuously
professionally developing teachers/tutors – see
Cedefop - Competence Framework for Vet Professions Handbook for practitioners.
THE FUTURE OF FET
SOLAS & the
ETBs have a very
serious job of
work to do.
• 2005 Irish workforce of 1.9 million
• Thought 950,000 needed by 2020:
• 640,000 school / college leavers &
via increased work-force participation
• Immigration of some 310,000.
On this basis 2020 demand for skills at the
higher levels could only be met by a
programme for re-skilling and upskilling the
resident workforce as (60%) of the
projected 2.4 million work force of 2020
were already in workforce.
To Achieve the Desired Skills Profile, EGFSN
(2007) Recommended the Following:
• % of those aged 20-24 with NFQ level 4 or 5
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qualifications to be increased to 94 % - through
completion of L.C. or equivalent
L. C. retention rate to reach 90 % by 2020.
480,000 would need to progress up qualifications
ladder by least (1) NFQ level and a further 30,000 by
at least (2) levels. This will entail the following
objectives being met from now to 2020.
• 70,000 workers from NFQ levels 1 & 2 »» level 3
• 9,000 workers from NFQ levels 1/2 »» levels 4/5
• 250,000 workers from NFQ level 3 »» levels 4/5
• 1,000 workers from NFQ level 3 »» levels 8/9/10
• 140,000 workers from levels 4/5 »» levels 6/7
• 30,000 workers from levels 4/5 »» levels 8/9/10
• 4,000 workers from levels 6/7 »» levels 8/9/10
• Progression rate to 3rd level to increase from 55% to 72%
• Left
ECONOMIC CRISIS
Ireland with a different
problem.
• Huge
unemployment
and
underemployment
many
unemployed with little prospect of work
without acquiring new skills.
• Unemployed told must upskill but State
does not have money to fund enough
training places.
• Annual Emigration = No leaving
school each year.