Civic, Social and Political Education
Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) is one of the compulsory subjects in the Junior Certificate course in Ireland.
Further Details
- CSPE is a common level subject unlike other subjects in the curriculum. The course encourages civic responsibility through the development of skills of active participation and through the undertaking of Action Projects and teaches about the basis of the Irish political system.
- There are seven key concepts in CSPE these include the promotion of Rights and Responsibilities, Human Dignity, Stewardship, Development, Democracy, Law and Interdependence.
Examination
A total of 40% of the marks in the exam are awarded for a written theory test, which includes such things as producing a poster, letter or article on a CSPE topic (such as poverty, racism, discrimination, etc.) and interpreting opinion polls.The written exam also has a number of short questions.
The remaining 60% of the marks are given for a report on an Action Project performed by an entire class of students at a time. This has to be based on one of the core topics - e.g. workers rights, environmentalism, racism, human rights, etc.
Senior Cycle
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)[1] have worked on a subject which focuses on citizenship as part of the Leaving Certificate curriculum. Politics and Society is based on key sociological concepts. This subject aims to develop the learner’s capacity to engage in reflective and active citizenship, informed by the insights and skills of social and political sciences.
Politics and Society has been introduced as a new Leaving Certificate subject in September 2016 and it will be examined for certification for the first time in June 2018.[2]
Global
France
In France, the equivalent of CSPE is called ECJS (éducation civique, juridique et sociale).