Over the last few weeks two news items struck me as having a potentially significant affect on the context within which speech & drama operates.
The first was the publication of the Hyland Report and, perhaps more importantly, the holding of a joint NCCA/HEA Conference on the transition from second to third level education. This Conference (details HERE) will be held on Wednesday 21 September and will discuss whether the current system of Leaving Cert points/CAO applications is the most effective [procedure for getting young people into third level education. The Conference will be webcast, so you can follow it from home or work if you want.
The second interesting item related to the Generation 21 initiative by Dublin City University (see HERE). This is effectively a response to potential employers who say that they want graduates who are ‘good communicators’ and are ‘flexible’.
The significance of these news items is that they represent a potential loosening up of the system, opening up the possibility that skills attained by young people out of school/college (such as communication and drama skills) may begin to have more currency in both the college entry system and as an essential element of a portfolio of skills built up by individual students to present to potential employers.
At the very least, both of these provide additional arguments that can be used to persuade parents of the value of speech, drama and communication (and of doing exams). At best, they may begin to lead to a greater recognition of out-of-school activities in the context of college entry.