Unsure what benefits transition year can bring? Micheal O'Leary goes through some of the questions that parents and pupils often ask.
Does transition year suit everyone?
Every student can benefit from transition year to some extent, but the structure suits some more than others. The year may not benefit students who are unhappy in the school system and perhaps at risk of dropping out; enforcing an extra year at school could be counterproductive. At the other end of the spectrum, some students are so focused on study and so clear about what they want to do after school that they may not need the year's extra time for reflection and exploration.
Is the programme unsuitable for academic students, then?
On the contrary. Some A-grade students can't give directions to the post office. Transition year broadens the educational experience, building confidence and helping students explore all their strengths. The Junior and Leaving Certificate programmes do not fully prepare students for all the challenges they will face in third level, the workplace, family life and the community. Transition year attempts to draw in some wider learning experiences and to enhance interpersonal skills, communication skills and independence. Critically for students with an academic focus, transition year prioritises independent-learning skills. These are central to success at third level. The very high failure rate among first years at third level - 40 per cent - is largely down to poor transition from school, where students are guided through the exam cycle, to college, where they are expected to manage their own learning and take responsibility for attendance, coursework and exam preparation. Students who are academically capable but socially immature may struggle with this level of responsibility in the early years of college.
Who is best suited to transition year?
The programme is especially suited to students who are not quite ready to take on the Leaving Cert cycle, who lack maturity, confidence or self- esteem, or who are still unsure about what they want to do after the Leaving Certificate. Students often decide what subjects to take for Leaving without much information on the range of subjects available. By the time they are filling out their CAO forms they can regret choices made in haste. Transition year allows students to sample subjects, giving them time to consider their choices properly. The work- experience and career-investigation modules let them look at where they might fit into the labour market.
What are the aims of transition year?
The central goal is to provide education for maturity. This involves a new focus on personal skills, such as social awareness, communication skills and self-directed learning. Students will also develop skills to enhance their experience of college and working life - practical skills such as information and communication technology, teamwork, time management and study skills. Another tenet of the programme is the examination of students' strengths. This extends into career exploration, subject sampling and work experience, all designed to equip students with as much information as possible as they make decisions about their futures. It's not all about work, either: we have modules on family life, community involvement and social awareness, which encourage students to look beyond their immediate environment and prepare for mature relationships, parenthood and citizenship. The transition-year programme draws heavily on the educational theories of Dr Howard Gardner, who has documented at least seven kinds of intelligence, only two of which are prioritised in conventional schooling. During the year students are encouraged to explore their particular intelligence. If your children learn one new thing about themselves and their abilities, it makes transition year worthwhile.
Is it true that transition-year students do better in the Leaving Certificate?
Two major studies have put the points advantage at 45. When you adjust this to account for the profile of school, the socio-economic backgrounds of the students and so on, we estimate that transition-year students get about 25 extra points. The reasons are unclear, but we think they benefit from the extra year of maturity, the more considered subject choices they make for the Leaving Certificate and the independent-study skills developed over the course of transition year. Studies have also shown that transition-year students are twice as likely to fill out a CAO form and one and a half times as likely to complete a degree-level course.
How does transition year contribute to career choices?
According the Emer Smyth of the Economic and Social Research Institute, who has studied transition year, students opt for a broader range of career options after third level. They are less likely to follow stereotypical gender lines when choosing a career, perhaps because they have been exposed to more subjects. Girls, for example, are more likely to choose careers in science; boys are more likely to opt for teaching.
Will transition year disrupt the work ethic that my child has developed during the junior cycle?
Students who do not take transition year have barely two months' break after Junior Certificate before they are back into exam mode. Many students tend to see fifth year as a doss, then try to get on top of a two-year cycle in one year. The jump in standards between the junior and senior cycles is vast. It's easy to pick out the transition-year students in a class: they are more confident, ask more questions and work to a higher standard.
Is transition year expensive?
It does cost money, which is a downside of the programme. The broader the educational experience, the higher the costs. Taking students away from the school grounds and into the community incurs travel costs, and if schools are offering sporting and cultural outings further costs are involved. As schools assemble a suite of modules for transition year, co-ordinators may choose to pay for external experts to come in and offer classes. Schools are good at finding resources within the school, and staff work hard to keep costs down, but parents can expect students to be asked to contribute. Ask the transition-year co-ordinator for an estimate of extra costs before making a decision.
What if my child refuses to do transition year?
There is no point in forcing an unwilling student to take transition year. The benefits of the year depend on the student's support and enthusiasm. If students are unhappy they get little benefit from activities that offer the freedom to explore personal strengths and capacities. Their opposition may also affect other students. Discuss the pros and cons of the programme with your children. If they are reluctant to take the programme because their friends are not involved, remind them that it focuses on team building and collaborative learning: they will quickly make friends. If, after calm discussion and exploration of the issues, they are still unwilling, respect their decision.
How should the school be helping me and my child to make this decision?
Around now your child's school should be holding an introductory evening to take you through the programme. Every school offers a slightly different programme, based around a core structure but designed the meet the needs of the students and capitalise on the resources of the school and the community. The first thing a school should do is explain its reasons for offering transition year: what is the school trying to achieve for the students? The transition-year co-ordinator should then guide parents and students through the structure and content of the course and give a detailed account of how the course is evaluated. Parents should be given guidelines on how they can get involved and keep in touch with the programme throughout the school year.
How do I know if my school is offering a good programme?
The quality of transition year varies from school to school, depending on how long it has been established, how many students take it, what resources are available and so on. The Second Level Support Service can provide schools with a structure and guidance, however, meaning that staff can work as part of a wider transition-year community. Transition-year co-ordinators have regular training days. Talk to students who have completed the year, talk to those who have been involved in transition year from other schools or set up a meeting with the co-ordinator if your questions have not been adequately addressed. Remember that your comments and suggestions are valued.
Where can I go for other information about transition year?
The Second Level Support Service website (www.slss.ie) has plenty for parents, students and teachers. There is also information on the website www.skoool.ie, and the ESRI recently published The Transition Year Programme - An Assessment with the Liffey Press.
Michael O'Leary is national transition-year co-ordinator
TRANSITION-SPECIFIC LAYER
Get up and Go mini-company programme
Irish Hotels Federation introduction-to-tourism programme
Mental-health programme
Shaping Space architecture module
2fm Radio TY scheme
Public-access-to-law module
Information-studies module
First-aid module
Family-awareness module
Concern debates
Development education
Young Social Innovators Award
Irish Times school magazine contest AIB Build a Bank challenge
Coca-Cola Form and Fusion Design Awards
European Computer Driver's Licence programme
Citizens' information pack
Money Advice & Budgeting Service module
CALENDAR LAYER
Work-experience placements
Visiting speakers
Outdoor pursuits
Excursions
Field trips
Community care and outreach
School musical
CORE-SUBJECT LAYER
English
Irish
Maths
A European language
SUBJECT-SAMPLING LAYER
Drama
Archaeology
Construction studies
Science
Home economics
Classical studies
Politics
