The Department of Education & Science
The Department of Education and Science (DES) is involved in a wide range of activities covering the key elements of policy planning, quality assurance, resourcing, regulation and evaluation, as well as providing a broad range of support services for the education sector.
Primary Education
There are over 450,000 children in primary education in Ireland. Attendance at full-time education is compulsory for all children between six and sixteen years of age. Although children in Ireland are not obliged to attend school until the age of six, many children begin primary school in the September following their fourth birthday.
Primary Curriculum
The primary curriculum provides for an extensive learning experience and encourages a rich variety of approaches to teaching and learning that cater for the different needs of individual children.
The revised primary curriculum, launched in 1999, was the first complete revision of the curriculum since 1971. The revised curriculum is designed to nurture the child in all dimensions of his or her life - spiritual, moral, cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social and physical. The curriculum reflects the educational, cultural, social and economic aspirations and concerns of Irish society. It also takes account of the changing nature of society and aims to help children to adjust to these changes.
The curriculum is divided into the following key areas:
- Language - English and Gaeilge
- Mathematics
- Social, environment and scientific education (SESE) – History, Geography and Science
- Arts education, including Visual arts, Music and Drama
- Physical education (PE)
- Social, personal and health education (SPHE)
DES Inspectorate
Each Board member has an active part in the management of the school. The contributions of each Board member are recognised and appreciated by all partners within the school community, recognising the level of responsibility held by them and the dedication and commitment with which they fulfil their duties to the best of their ability.
The Chairperson
Inspectors from the Department of Education and Science assigned to each school provide advice and support on an on-going basis. Inspectors are appointed to visit schools and to report on the work in progress. Each school has an assigned District Inspector and a Divisional Inspector. DES Inspectors carry out Whole School Evaluation (WSE) in schools, reports of which are published on the DES website.
DES and Staffing
The Department of Education determines the number of teachers to be appointed to individual schools. The ‘schedule of staffing’ is issued from time to time by the Department. Some additional teachers may be appointed to some schools on the basis of special circumstances. While the Board of Management appoints the teachers (subject to DES sanctioning of qualifications and the approval of the Patron), the teachers’ salaries are paid directly by the DES. The Department also looks after PRSI, tax deductions and superannuation contributions for teachers.
DES Funding
The Department provides ongoing funding to schools through grant aid under headings such as capitation, minor works (building and maintenance); ancillary services; standardised testing; school books; remedial/ resource equipment etc. These may vary from year to year, depending on budgeting decisions by the Department.
A school’s Board of Management has considerable contact with the DES in relation to capital funding, especially when building work is undertaken. This was the case with St Patrick’s National School in the course of the major building and refurbishment programme undertaken in recent years.
