Teachers dissatisfied with primary curriculum

ONLY one primary teacher in five is satisfied with the current curriculum, according to a survey carried out by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO). And almost 80 per cent of teachers say changes are needed in the teaching of Irish.

The survey, which was presented to the INTO's education conference in Wexford yesterday, reveals that many schools do not have basic sports facilities. Only 60 per cent have a PE hall, 72 per cent have a surfaced yard, and 60 per cent have access to a playing field.

The so called "new" curriculum in primary schools has been in place with virtually no changes since 1971. The Minister for Education has said she expects a draft of the revised curriculum currently being prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to be ready by the middle of next year.

Some 20 per cent of teachers described the present curriculum as satisfactory 54 per cent said was adequate and 20 per cent said it was unsatisfactory. Dissatisfaction with individual subjects is largely confined to Irish, although 30 per cent of teachers were unhappy with maths.

The survey recommends that the curriculum be reviewed more frequently. It also warns that "accommodations" between the time demands made by different subjects be sorted out now.

If this is not done, the only other alternative would be the "totally unrealistic expedient" of extending the school day to accommodate new subject areas, it says. "There is a limit to what young children are able to comprehend in any given day or week."

Fewer than half the teachers surveyed said they taught the Stay Safe programme, and only 17 per cent taught sex education. However, the overall number of schools offering both these programmes is higher.

The INTO says it is increasingly difficult to expect one teacher to deliver adequately teaching in all areas of the curriculum. There is a need to examine the case for increased specialisation within larger schools, and for employing travelling teachers in smaller schools who have talents in art and crafts, PE and music.

In the survey, teachers were asked about various aspects of extra curricular learning and the use of outside teaching materials. One quarter said they never used television or radio broadcast material and 20 per cent never take educational walks outside the school.