The new Business syllabus is designed to be more integrated with a vocational dimension and an emphasis on the importance of people skills in business. Leaving Certificate Business comprises three sections:
- People in business
- Enterprise
- Business environment
Revised and new sections of the course
- People in business
- Enterprise
- Management activities
- Business start-up / identifying business opportunities
- Community development
- Business and the economy
- Social responsibilities of business
- International trade / marketing
Sections removed include:
- Office organisation
- Unit trusts and investment trusts
- Methods of transport
- Foreign trade documentation
- Stock exchange
- Central bank
- Merchant bank
Sections reduced include:
- Commercial bank
- Production planning and control
- Government tin business
- Sources of Finance
- Taxation
- Insurance
- Retailer
- Wholesaler
- Mergers and take-overs
- Partnerships
These areas are not given specific treatment in the new course; however, they may impinge on certain areas of the new syllabus and may be mentioned in an applied context.
Legislation in the revised syllabus
A major concern of the course committee in relation to the former Business Organisation syllabus was the large amounts of legislation which were included. The committee agreed to a limited list of relevant legislation and this selected list is included in the appendix to the draft guidelines.
The stated pieces of legislation will be examined at both Higher and Ordinary Level with the emphasis on the application of the legislation.
Summaries of the legislation and its application in business will be the focus as opposed to a detailed knowledge of the actual text of the legislation.
As the Business syllabus is dynamic it is proposed that the Appendix should be amended as legislation evolves; however the committee proposes that when this review is taking place any additions of legislation to current business practice should be reflected by similar deletions in the existing list. This will ensure that the length of the syllabus is maintained.
The legislation will be indicated in the units of the guidelines where they are most relevant. However they may impinge on other units.