Sharing ideas with other schools helps keep the year fresh, writes Gráinne Faller

It can be difficult to keep a transition- year programme fresh from year to year, and although many projects and courses are available in theory, both money and proximity can be problems for schools. Local education centres have provided support to teachers involved in running transition year over the years, and now steps are being taken to increase the scope of that support.

Some of the greatest local resources available to teachers in any area are the ideas and initiative of other teachers. Although the transition-year initiative is co-ordinated nationally, efforts are being made this year to focus on the needs of individual areas. This will be impossible, of course, without the co-operation of local teachers.

"We're calling it local networking," says Michael O'Leary, the national transition-year co-ordinator. "The idea would be that transition-year teachers would get together and that they would identify the local needs surrounding their individual programmes . . . They would then work in collaboration with the [ national] education centre in Blackrock, and we would try and meet those needs."

O'Leary is looking for interested teachers to get in touch at the moment. He has no doubt about the value of such a network. "One group of teachers might get together and share examples of good practice, sharing information and ideas together. Another group might get together and collaborate on resource development," he says. "Some areas might not have as many resources as others, but teachers may put their heads together and develop a set of resources that they could use based on something in the locality."

The basis of the network is that it would be determined by local needs. "Teachers will support teachers," says O'Leary. "There's great scope for creativity. It's an exciting possibility once we get it up and running."

O'Leary is getting the scheme started. "We're intent on identifying what the needs are at a local level," he says. "This is a follow-up on the great support that local education centres have given to teachers over the years."

The networks are intended to be as flexible and as individual as the teachers feel they need to be.

O'Leary is looking for suggestions and support from teachers around the country.

If you are interested in getting involved in the transition-year local-networking initiative, e-mail O'Leary or Mary Sorohan, at ty@blackrockec.ie