Computer Science on the Curriculum for Leaving Certificate 2020

Pupils in 40 schools will start studying computer science for the Leaving Cert from next September.

Schools were invited to apply to participate in the first phase of the subject's roll-out and Education Minister Richard Bruton has today named the 40 that have been selected.

Six schools in Cork are among the 4o schools chosen to take part in the first phase.

Sacred Heart Secondary is delighted to be one of the school and the only school in West Cork  that will give student the opportunity to study this interesting and exciting subject.

Pupils will sit the first Leaving Cert exam in computer science in 2020, the first State exam to introduce online testing.

Overall, 30pc of the marks will be awarded for a project done in school, and 70pc will be for the June exam, which will be computer-based.

Employer bodies have long been calling for the introduction of computer science at Leaving Cert level, to give school leavers a foundation in what is an essential skill for the modern workplace, and it was recommended in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programme in 2016.

The syllabus aims to foster creativity and problem-solving and develop in students an appreciation of the diverse role of computing technology in society and the environment in which they live