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3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

3 Draft Leaving Certificate specifications consultations

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Literacy and numeracy

Literacy and numeracy skills are embedded across each of the four strands and in the learning outcomes.  The students’ oral literacy skills are supported through the strong emphasis on discussion, debate and argumentation throughout the learning. They will develop their reading, comprehension and writing skills when they research, examine, compare and critique different theories, case studies and information. Their digital and media literacy skills are developed as they use technology for research and presentation purposes. Politics and Society also helps students develop political literacy as they gain the vocabulary and skills to discuss events and issues affecting them and they learn how to articulate informed views on the political structures that operate at local, national and global levels.

Politics and Society facilitates students in using mathematical understanding and skills to help analyse complex issues related to the real world and its problems. Over the course of their studies, students will engage with both qualitative and quantitative data in order to examine local, national, European and wider-world issues. They develop numeracy skills as they access and interpret social research data, examine evidence and reach conclusions. Students also use mathematical reasoning as they examine the patterns, trends and relationships between different political, social and environmental issues and make links between those issues and events (for example, LO 5.3: 'Students... describe patterns of diversity which exist on the island of Ireland').

 The written examination also promotes the development of literacy and numeracy through its focus, not only on examining knowledge and understanding, but also on examining

  • the skills of analysis  and  interpretation  of  qualitative  and/or  quantitative  social  and political data
  • the capacity to form a reasonable and logical argument—clarity and coherence in argument and management of ideas.
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