The Education Minister Joe McHugh has said he wants history to be made a compulsory subject for students studying the Junior Certificate.
At the moment Irish, English, and Maths are the only mandatory subjects.
Education Minister Joe McHugh is going against the advice of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment which thinks history should remain optional.
The Irish Independent reports that Minister McHugh wants history to have a special place in the curriculum by next September and will not await a planned National Council for Curriculum and Assessment review in two years' time.
It's understood he's not prepared to risk a fall in the number of students studying history during the two year period.
While the decision that history will not be optional appears to have been made - the exact future status has yet to be determined.
"Do I welcome it? I'm running jumping around the house delighted with myself, said former Education Minister Mary O'Rourke.
"I wrote a piece last year for the Irish Times saying I set up the NCCA in 1988 to be an advisory body. Not to be deciding the content, but advise the Minister who would then make choices."
I had faith that Joe McHugh would do the right thing. I said I'd give two cheers to Joe, and when he announces that it will be a mandatory subject I'll give three cheers.
"So I'm very happy today to give the three cheers to Joe McHugh. He has taken their advice, said 'thank you very much and I'm going to go ahead with my own advice.'"
