“Schools, college and universities should build creative and nurturing environments where students learn how to meaningfully engage in civic, community, environmental, technological and economic ways.”
It has been a busy week as far as General Election 2020 is concerned – if you’re after a considered summary, hit up JOE’s State of Us show at this here YouTube link – and there’s still plenty to discuss.
With the various parties launching their respective manifestos, everyone involved is looking to the future. Should the Green Party come into power, that future might look a little bit different for first level Irish students.
Officially unveiled on Saturday, the Green Party manifesto signals the party’s intentions to ‘explore’ the prospect of scrapping homework for those subscribed to the primary school curriculum.
“Schools, college and universities should build creative and nurturing environments where students learn how to meaningfully engage in civic, community, environmental, technological and economic ways,” notes the introduction to the manifesto’s ‘Excellence in Education’ section.
Amongst the proposals are reducing pupil-to-teacher ratios at first and second level, addressing teacher shortages, reviewing primary and secondary school curricula “to meet the needs of the 21st century” and “exploring the phasing out of homework in primary schools”.
In November of 2019, Loreto Primary School in Rathfarnam, Dublin trialed a no written homework policy in a bid to alleviate related stress experienced by students.
In summarising its overall manifesto and vision for the future, the Green Party has stated that Irish citizens “need to rethink how we live, how we travel, how we work and how we consume.
“This manifesto details practical solutions that redress the damage done to our natural world and make Ireland a better, fairer place to live, with clean energy, cheap and accessible public transport and thriving rural communities,” continues the launch statement.
You can read the Green Party manifesto in full here.
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