Enlarged partial agreement

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe

History is a compulsory subject throughout primary and lower secondary education. In the first two grades of primary school, students take a multidisciplinary course, “Social and environmental education”. They thereafter transition to the standalone courses “History” for the rest of primary school and “History (Junior Cycle)” at the lower secondary level. Following an end-of-stage assessment in the ninth grade (age 14), history becomes an optional subject in upper secondary education. Students may take “History (Transition Year)” in the tenth grade and “History (Senior Cycle)” in the eleventh and twelfth grades, with the latter requiring an end-of-stage assessment.

Private schools in Ireland follow the same history curricula as the public system. In addition, while some public schools have religious patrons or a religious ethos, they follow the curricula of the public system regardless of this affiliation. As English and Irish have equal legal standing, history can be taught in either language.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which is a statutory body of the Department of Education, advises the Minister for Education on curriculum and assessment for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and assessment procedures used in schools and examinations on subjects which are part of the curriculum, including history. This advice is developed through research, deliberation, consultation and networks. The education authorities report that both civil society organisations and minority groups participate in curriculum development.

The authorities report that minority groups (cultural, ethnic, linguistic, national, religious or sexual/gender) are included in the history curriculum. These also include Roma and Travellers.

 Curricula workstation by GEI (History curricula search by country)

 The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) 

The assessment methods teachers are required to use are essays, oral presentations/ exams, knowledge-based questions, source-based questions and multiple-choice questions.

End-of-stage examinations are taken for the compulsory lower secondary course “History” and the optional upper secondary course “History”. These examinations are set at the national level.

End-of-stage examinations assess the following fields of knowledge: historical content knowledge, historical thinking competences (e.g., critical analysis and evaluation of evidence, formulation and justification of historical arguments, consideration of different perspectives).

End-of-stage examinations are written and coursework based. Written examinations include open-ended questions, close-ended questions, source-based questions and essays at upper secondary level.

 The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)

 The State Examinations Commission (responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification for the secondary level)

Teachers are permitted to use any materials that they deem will support teaching and learning with students. The Department of Education does not place any requirements on a school to use specific textbooks or resources in the teaching of history. The Department does not generally approve, commission, sponsor or endorse educational textbooks or online materials, but it provides advice and support through the NCCA and its teacher support service, Oide, by issuing guidelines for teachers and providing support materials to help guide their work with students.

There is no policy on the use of any type of educational resource (see list):

NO POLICY

Apps for smartphones and tablets with historical content Artefacts (e.g., paintings, architecture, sculptures, contemporary art) Audio sources (e.g., music, the sound of a steam engine) Audiovisual sources (e.g., newsreels, private archives, commercials) Cinema and documentaries with historical themes Historiographical bibliography History textbooks Literature (e.g., historical novels, graphic novels) Local cultural heritage (e.g., costumes, food traditions, celebrations) Local and regional festivals and traditions related to historical events Museums and other places of heritage interpretation Oral sources (interviews with grandparents, relatives, neighbours, etc.) Primary documentary sources Printed or digital press (newspapers and magazines) Reports on historical topics in popular magazines Search engines and websites with historical content not necessarily validated by the education authorities Teacher notes Video games Visual sources (e.g., paintings, photographs, drawings) Websites and databases with historical content approved by the educational authorities

 International TextbookCat (GEI collection of Textbooks and Educational Media)

History teachers must be accredited according to the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016. Prospective primary school teachers must complete either a four-year undergraduate programme of initial teacher education or a two-year professional Master of Education following an undergraduate degree. They must demonstrate competence in the Irish language. Prospective secondary school teachers must hold a degree-level qualification that includes the study of history up to and including third-year level or higher, composed of at least 60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits, and necessarily including the specific study of Irish history.

At the primary level, teachers receive general training to teach across a range of disciplines. At the secondary level, teachers are trained to teach history and one or more other discipline(s).

In-service professional development courses are optional. The Department of Education funds teacher support services for history, delivered through the teacher support service Oide.

 History Teachers’ Association of Ireland (presentation by EuroClio)

 History Teachers’ Association of Ireland (official website)

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