A group of teenagers have made suggestions for how Ireland's education system can be improved to better prepare students for their working lives.

As part of consultations on reforming the Junior Cycle, 88 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 were asked to give their opinions to help formulate policy for the future of teaching at this level.

The pupils suggested making the Junior Cycle two years long would be beneficial in order to allow an extra year for the Senior Cycle, while they wanted greater emphasis on subjects such as social, personal and health education and civic, social and political education.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald noted: "The young people identified social skills and life skills as extremely important to their lives in Junior Cycle."

The students also called for more help with making the transition to second level education, while suggesting that maths and English should be the only compulsory subjects.

Under current proposals from the Department of Education, these will become two of three mandatory subjects for Junior Certificate candidates, along with Irish.

Written by Donal Walsh
 

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