Transition Year
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Transition Year (TY) (Irish: Idirbhlian) is an optional one-year programme that can be taken in the year after the Junior Certificate in the Republic of Ireland and is intended to make the senior cycle a three year programme encompassing both Transition Year and Leaving Certificate[1]. Transition Year was created as a result of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress which called for a six-year cycle of post-primary education[2]. The mission statement of the Transition Year is:
- To promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of pupils and to prepare them for their role as autonomous, participative and responsible members of society.[3]
Transition Year was introduced as a pilot project in September 1974, however it was not until September 1994 that the programme was introduced mainstream. Transition Year is not examined, but rather is assessed, and is intended to be a broad educational experience which assists in the transition from the school environment by encouraging creativity and responsibility for oneself. Approximately 75% of second-level schools offer the programme[4] and it consists of both education and work experience. Schools generally set admissions criteria and design the programme based on local needs in accordance with departmental guidelines. It is also said that if students opt to do TY then their Leaving Certificate results could increase. It also gives students previously unknown confidence within themselves.
The year focuses on many non-academic subjects, such as life skills including: First Aid, cooking and typing. A lot of sport goes on, with many different types including: rock-climbing, hill-walking, kayaking and orienteering. Voluntary Work is a requirement in many schools, with students helping out in local communities and charities. It is not possible to fail Transition Year overall: all students continue to their next year of education no matter what their results.
Amongst students, the Transition Year programme is frequently reffered to as a "doss". (Meaning it does not demand much work, and students can relax during it.)
Contents |
[edit] Available subjects
Below are the list of subjects available to Transition Year students, though most schools only offer a limited number.
[edit] Modern languages
[edit] Sciences
[edit] Applied Sciences
[edit] Business Studies
[edit] Arts and Humanities
- Art, Craft & Design
- English
- Geography
- History
- Music
- Religious Education
- Physical Education
- Social, Personal and Health Education
- Career Guidance
- Information Technology
[edit] Criticism
The Department of Education and Science has asserted that most teachers and principals are not really challenging students in Transition Year, based on official figures from a WSE report: "There was evidence that the content of certain subject areas lacked substance and that students were not being sufficiently challenged. It is strongly recommended that a root and branch review of the programme be undertaken."[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Circular M31/93, Department of Education, Ireland, 1993
- ^ Programme for Economic and Social Progress, Government of Ireland, Dublin, 1991
- ^ Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, Department of Education and Science, Ireland, 2004
- ^ Oasis - Information on Public Services, The Transition Year (accessed April 2006)
- ^ "Schools cutting back on class time get a ticking off in report" Irish Independent. URL last accessed 2008-03-16
