Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

9. Discussion and Policy Implications 1449.1 Summary of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme 1459.1.1 Overview of the Programme Over Time 1459.1.2 What Schools Provide LCA? 1459.1.3 Profile of LCA Students 1469.1.4 Curriculum and Learning 1479.1.5 Work Experience 1489.1.6 School Drop-out 1499.1.7 Post-school Outcomes 1499.2 The Situation Today 1509.3 Implications for Policy 1519.3.1 The LCA Programme in Context 1519.3.2 How Important are Student Experiences in Junior Cycle to EntryInto LCA? 1519.3.3 Does the LCA Reproduce Social Inequalities or Provide a ‘Safety Net’for Students at Risk? 1519.3.4 How Rigid Should the Boundaries be Between LCA and OtherLeaving Certificate Programmes? 1529.3.5 What Can we Learn from the LCA Teaching Approach? 1539.3.6 Issues for the Development of the LCA Programme 1539.3.7 Should Entry into LCA be Determined? 1539.3.8 What Aspects of LCA Learning Content Do Not Foster StudentPotential? 1549.3.9 How Can the Profile, Awareness and Recognition of LCA be Improved? 1549.3.10 How Can LCA Impact Positively on School Leavers’ Labour MarketOptions? 1559.3.11 How Can Access to Post-school Education be Improved for LCASchool Leavers? 1559.4 Conclusions 1569.5 Potential for Future Research 157References 159Appendix 1 164VII