Help foster a passion for lifelong learning

TWEAKING particular sections in the Leaving Certificate curriculum in isolation from the full range of subjects and cross-curricular development is a poor micro solution to a macro problem.

The first question to ask is — what are the aspirations of the entire second level curriculum? What outcomes would we wish for the student who has been studying a range of subjects for two years?

Imagine for a moment that the English curriculum includes the study of the Odyssey in conjunction with James Joyce’s Ulysses — and then think of the young person, who, on their travels, is able to discuss with a German, a Korean or an American, this most famous of novels written by an Irishman.

In mathematics, consider the student who could make an informed decision about the wisdom of playing the lottery (through comprehending the probability of winning the jackpot); think of the young woman who understands binary numbers, and picture the youth who could demonstrate the elegance of a proof in Euclidian geometry and recognise its similarity to the logical deductive thinking and reasoning in use by lawyers on a daily basis.

The origin of the word education is from the Latin “educere” which means “a leading out”. The curriculum must be designed for students to gain the practical skills they need to successfully manage their lives, but it must also aspire to helping them become imaginative thinkers and lifelong learners.

RA Hackett

Dun Laoghaire

Co Dublin