Transition year is optional at my daughter’s secondary school. She’s quite academic and is doing well during junior cycle. From what I can see, transition year is a bit of a doss year without much challenging work. I’m worried she’ll get into bad habits and don’t want her to drift or lose momentum. Is it really a waste of time for some students?
I hear your concerns and understand your fear that a change in routine might affect your daughter’s progress, but I believe your fears may be misplaced. I’m a big fan of transition year (TY) for many reasons.
It shakes up the traditional, formal education system and introduces students to new ways of learning. This can be particularly beneficial for students who thrive in interactive and collaborative learning environments. By exposing students to different learning programmes, presentations, team projects and speakers from various walks of life, a whole host of possibilities and pathways are revealed to them.
Currently, about 80 per cent of students take part in TY. This is double the participation rate of 20 years ago. Minister for Education Norma Foley recently announced a new transition year programme statement which will come on stream for the 2025/2026 school year, replacing the current guidelines introduced in 1994.
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The new guidelines outline four student dimensions as the core foundations upon which TY programmes should be designed: personal growth; being a learner; civic and community engagement and career development.
There are some really interesting TY programmes, such as The B!G Idea, an award-winning creative thinking skills programme. It’s designed to teach students how to unlock their creative and innovative thinking to develop solutions to real-world challenges facing their community. Students work in teams to address issues such as hidden poverty, mental health, climate change and AI, gaining valuable life skills in the process. They are facilitated by their teachers and mentored by professionals from Irish businesses across various sectors, who review and critique their ideas, offering constructive feedback and suggestions.
For example, a team from Kilkenny Youthreach developed an award-winning project with their transformative fintech app, designed to empower young people to manage their finances wisely. Another incredible project, developed by a team from St Leo’s in Carlow, featured a solar-powered mobile phone with a modular design, which not only reduces waste, but also minimises the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and disposal.
So, rather than viewing TY as a potential disruption, consider it an opportunity for your daughter to explore and grow in ways that the traditional academic route might not allow. It’s a year where she can discover more about herself, develop new skills, and gain a broader perspective on the world – all of which are invaluable as she moves forward in her education and beyond.
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