Revision of junior cycle for students in 2014

Almost 60,000 secondary school students will begin a radically revised junior cycle next year as the phasing-out of the traditional Junior Certificate examination gets under way.

Under the new curriculum, more emphasis will be placed on continuous assessment rather than end-of-year testing, and students will engage in more practical work, group work, and project-based learning.

Traditional subjects will continue to be taught, but with revised course content. Details of the new English curriculum will be revealed soon and a public consultation has begun on proposed changes to Irish and science.