St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry, and Coláiste Íosagáin, Portarlington, will be among the first in the country to offer Leaving Certificate Climate Action and Sustainable Development as a subject from the start of the 2025/26 school year. In the country 43 schools have been selected for Leaving Certificate Climate Action and Sustainable Development. 57 postprimary schools have been selected to introduce Leaving Certificate Drama, Film and Theatre Studies. Minister for Education Norma Foley TD announced the list of 100 selected Phase One Schools that will be the first to offer these two brand new leaving Cert subjects.
Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme
The announcement marks an important moment in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme that provides young people with an opportunity to study a range of subjects that align with their talents and passions. Minister Foley said:
“It was fantastic to see a strong level of interest from schools of all types across the country in taking part in this first phase of delivering the new Leaving Certificate subjects of Drama, Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development. These subjects are being introduced to provide greater choice for students to better reflect their range of interests and support the development of a wider range of talents and skills.
Climate Action and Sustainable Development
The new Climate Action and Sustainable Development subject that will start in the two Midlands schools next year will develop students’ capacity for informed and meaningful action for a just and sustainable world as they engage with key sustainability challenges, including the climate crisis. Students will be empowered to build their understanding of a number of interconnected core concepts and principles related to climate action and sustainable development.
Teacher Training
Teachers in the selected schools will begin working with Oide, the teacher support service, this school year, a year in advance of teaching the subject. All selected Phase One schools will be provided with the necessary resources to establish new subject departments in their schools and to support the teaching and learning of the subject from the start of the 2025/26 school year.
