Senior Cycle Education
Senior cycle (upper secondary education) is the non-compulsory period of education and is usually taken by students between the ages of 15 and18. The aims of senior cycle emphasise the role it plays in providing continuity with junior cycle, in the personal development of students and in preparing students for the challenges life presents in further and higher education, in the world of work and in citizenship. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of students experiencing a broad, balanced and coherent programme of study across a range of curriculum areas with some opportunities for limited specialisation.
Programmes of study
The programme of study followed in senior cycle can be of two or of three years duration. The difference in duration is accounted for by the student choosing to take a Transition Year programme in the first year of senior cycle. Transition Year is an optional educational programme which offers students a wide range of learning experiences aimed at contributing to personal development, social awareness, and work-related learning.
Students who take a Transition Year programme proceed to one of three other programmes for the remaining two years. Students taking a two-year senior cycle proceed directly to one of these three programmes. The vast majority of students take the Leaving Certificate (Established) which is the traditional terminal examination in post-primary education in Ireland. Some students take a particular configuration of the Leaving Certificate (Established) called the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) which emphasises enterprise education and preparation for working life. Students seeking an alternative self-contained programme which is more learner-centred and pre-vocational in nature take the Leaving Certificate Applied.
With the exception of Transition Year, all senior cycle programmes lead to State examinations taken towards the end of senior cycle when students are 18 years of age. Student achievement in these examinations is directly linked to processes of selection for courses of study in further and higher education.
A total of 34 Leaving Certificate (Established) / LCVP subjects are currently available to schools. The Leaving Certificate Applied provides alternatives to the traditional subject disciplines through the provision of nine courses.
Documentation
The booklet: A Brief Description of the Irish Education System published by the Department of Education and Science contains a useful overview of senior cycle education and the education system in general.
Related links
Transition Year
Leaving Certificate (Established)
Leaving Certificate Applied
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
Senior Cycle Review