Concerns are growing across several Leaving Certificate review groups that subject experts are not being adequately heard as Ireland undertakes its biggest senior-cycle curriculum overhaul in years. The concerns affect maths, English, chemistry, physics, biology and construction studies, according to information from people involved in the redevelopment process.
The developments are significant for students, teachers and families following the latest Ireland News, because revised courses and new assessment arrangements are being introduced gradually over the next five years.
What is happening with the Leaving Cert reform?
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, or NCCA, has established development groups for 17 Leaving Certificate subjects. These groups include teachers, academics, union representatives and Department of Education officials. Their role is to help shape new curriculum content and examination specifications before they are finalised.
However, members of several groups have reportedly questioned whether their professional advice is influencing the final direction of the reforms. Some sources said the groups were required to work within tightly defined parameters, leaving them with limited influence over the most important decisions.
The concerns do not mean that every member of every group shares the same view. They do indicate, however, that debate about the reform process is widening beyond a single subject.
Key facts
- The senior-cycle curriculum is being changed in stages over five years.
- Development groups have been established for 17 Leaving Certificate subjects.
- Subjects mentioned in the concerns include maths, English and the sciences.
- Some revised courses and additional assessment components began in 2025.
Maths reform resignation intensified scrutiny
The issue came into sharper focus this month when Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, an associate professor of mathematics education at Dublin City University, resigned from the Mathematics Development Group.
She said she did not want to remain associated with draft courses that she considered incoherent and mathematically inaccurate. She also argued that the views of subject specialists had not been properly reflected in the work.
Her resignation has prompted renewed attention on how curriculum development groups operate and how disagreements are recorded, considered and resolved before a revised specification is approved.
Similar concerns reported in English and science groups
Concerns have also been raised in the English review group. Sources familiar with the process said some participants believed that the broad structure of the reform had already been decided, with members mainly able to influence smaller details.
Members of the chemistry, biology and physics groups have reportedly experienced similar frustrations. Humphrey Jones, who chaired the Irish Science Teachers’ Association from 2024 to 2026, said teachers involved in the groups felt that meetings were tightly controlled.
According to Jones, members were unable to propose agenda items or introduce their own research and recommendations. He also said that important questions about the specification model and the allocation of marks for new non-examination assessments were not sufficiently addressed.
He further criticised the meeting records, saying the minutes were vague and did not always reflect the intensity of discussions. The comments underline a central issue in the reform: whether consultation is meaningful if expert objections do not lead to changes or detailed responses.
Construction studies syllabus also criticised
Construction studies has faced separate criticism. Last year, Trevor Hickey, a University of Limerick lecturer and author of Leaving Certificate textbooks, resigned from the subject development group.
He told the NCCA that he was concerned the proposed syllabus had lost much of the applied science content found in the existing course. In his view, the draft no longer clearly reflected construction studies as a science, technology, engineering and mathematics subject.
That disagreement reflects a wider challenge facing curriculum planners: updating courses while retaining the technical knowledge, practical skills and academic depth that universities, employers and teachers expect students to develop.
Why the reform matters to students and families
The Leaving Certificate remains a major pathway into higher education, further education and employment. Changes to course content and assessment can affect how students prepare, how schools allocate teaching time and how third-level institutions understand applicants’ qualifications.
For students, the most immediate questions concern the balance between written examinations and additional assessment components. Families will also want clarity about:
- when each subject’s revised curriculum will begin;
- how marks will be divided between examinations and other assessments;
- what material students will be expected to study;
- how teachers will be supported during the transition; and
- whether final specifications have been independently reviewed.
Clear communication is particularly important because different year groups will study different versions of some subjects during the transition period.
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Which subjects have already changed?
Students taking business, biology, chemistry, physics, Arabic, Latin and Ancient Greek in the current academic year have studied revised curricula and additional assessment elements since 2025.
Other subjects will move to new specifications as their development work is completed. The phased approach is intended to manage the scale of the senior-cycle overhaul, but it also creates a period in which several versions of the Leaving Certificate operate across different subjects and cohorts.
What happens next?
The NCCA has been contacted for a response to the concerns. Its explanation will be important in clarifying how feedback from development groups is assessed, how disagreements are documented and what safeguards are in place before new courses receive final approval.
The Department of Education and the NCCA will also face pressure to provide greater transparency around timelines, assessment design and the evidence supporting curriculum decisions. Teachers and subject organisations are likely to continue seeking assurances that specialist knowledge will play a meaningful role in the final specifications.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Leaving Certificate curriculum review?
It is a multi-year programme to revise Ireland’s senior-cycle subjects, course content and assessment arrangements. Changes are being introduced gradually rather than all at once.
Which subjects are involved in the latest concerns?
Concerns have been reported in maths, English, chemistry, physics, biology and construction studies.
Who develops the new subject specifications?
NCCA development groups bring together teachers, academics, union representatives and Department of Education staff, among others.
Will all students sit the revised Leaving Cert at the same time?
No. The reforms are being phased in, meaning subjects and student cohorts will transition at different times.
Why expert input matters in Leaving Cert reform
Curriculum reform can only succeed when its goals are matched by accurate subject content, workable assessment and genuine professional consultation. The latest concerns do not resolve whether the proposed changes should proceed, but they raise serious questions about how decisions are being made.
As Ireland follows this developing story, students and families need clear, authoritative information about what is changing and when. The key takeaway from today’s Breaking News is that the success of the Leaving Certificate overhaul will depend not only on its ambition, but also on the transparency and credibility of the process used to create it.
