Subject Provision

Table 1.2 below shows the subjects provided by centres who provided a programme in 1999. The comparable figures based on the number of centres who provided either a full or partial programme in 1998 are shown in the right hand column. Similar to the results of the previous years analysis, English and Maths are by far the most popular subjects for which centres provide tuition, with all but three of the centres who provide a programme, providing English and all but seven providing Maths. The next most popular subject falls a long way behind either of the top two, with less than half the centres providing Art, Craft and Design (14 centres). Again this follows the trend from last year. The trend changes slightly from last year, with Materials Technology along with History being the next most provided subject (11 centres each). Therefore, Home Economics has gone lower in the rankings than last year with 3 less centres providing it (12 centres 1998, 9 centres 1999).

Table 1.2: Subjects provided by Centres offering a Junior Certificate Programme
 

* No comparable percentage in 1998 – History and Geography were asked together (Ryan, 1999:p.6)

Other subjects provided are: Business Studies (7 centres), Technical Graphics (6 centres), Typewriting (5 centres), Irish (4 Centres), Metalwork, Science and French (3 centres each) and Italian, German and Spanish (1 centre each). Leaving the clear leaders of English and Maths aside, there is evidence of a pattern in the type of subjects provided by VEC Youthreach Centres, Community Training Workshops and Senior Traveller Training Centres, leaning toward the practical subjects such as home economics, Art Craft and Design, Materials technology, Typewriting, Technical Graphics and Metalwork. However this year there is a slight improvement in the provision of languages by the YOUTHREACH centres 4 centres are providing Irish (2 centres in 1998) and 3 centres are providing tuition in French (only one provided tuition in 1998). German, Italian and Spanish are provided in one centre each (none of the three were provided in 1998) – though this seems to be on an individual basis (see section 1.4 for numbers of trainees sitting each paper), the provision of foreign languages may show a move to address firstly the need for languages in the Irish labour market and also the need to prepare trainees for increasing mobility. As per the provision in 1998, there is no provision of the more theoretically based subjects (no centre provides tuition in Civic, Social and Political Education or Environmental or Social Studies).