Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has described the inclusion of Coláiste Muire in Ennis among the nine schools selected for a nationwide school excellence project as an endorsement of the school’s high standard of educational innovation.
The ‘Step Up’ project focuses on supporting schools to ‘step up’ in the delivery of the new junior cycle programme. The nine schools will work together and will be supported by the Inspectorate, who will help with planning and the JCT, who will provide additional teacher training.
Deputy Carey explained that the nine schools from across the country will participate in the initial pilot phase of the project over the coming school year.
The School Excellence Fund approach, which focuses on encouraging local collaboration and innovation, is key to delivering on the governments overall ambition to making Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.
Teachers from each school participated in an opening seminar in Athlone where they collaborated to develop their thinking around the Step Up Project and work with members of JCT and the Inspectorate to refine their Step Up Project plan for the year ahead.
“The overarching aim of the Step Up Project is to support schools already at an effective level of implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle to move to a highly effective level,” Deputy Carey explained
