White Paper on Educational Development

Abstract

The Confederation of Irish Industry has made a detailed response to the "White Paper on Educational Development" which was presented by the Government before each House of the Oireachtas in December 1980. In general terms, the Confederation has welcomed the publication of the White Paper, and the Confederation has welcomed, in particular, the statement in the Foreward to the White Paper that the education system "will undergo a continuous process of adaptation and development". The Confederation has over the past number of years engaged in an active campaign aimed at strengthening the links between industry and the schools with a view to ensuring that the education system is at all times fully informed of the most recent developments in modern high technology industries. It is encouraging for the Confederation to see that the White Paper recognises the ever-acceleration pace of change in Irish Society, and that it recognises the role of the education system in preparing young people to meet that change. I have been asked to focus my address upon the post-primary school curriculum presumably because I have, on many occasions, articulated a number of changes which the Confederation would like to see introduced into the curriculum at the post-primary stage.