TRANSITION TIMES:'THE DIFFERENCE between try and triumph is a little umph." This quote sums up transition year (TY) in a nutshell. It's a time when new activities, sports, arts, careers - that you've always been interested in but never had the time to explore - can be tried. There's so much on offer for students who get involved, and a little "umph" will make all the difference.

There are now over 550 schools offering TY, with 15 introducing it for the first time this year. That means there'll be around 29,000 students taking part in 2008/2009.

Not only are the numbers rising, but the opportunities available are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated.

"Schools are preparing and planning more," says Michael O'Leary, the national TY coordinator at the Second Level Support Service (SLSS). "Programmes are becoming more structured, yet maintaining the flexibility needed to develop a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum is reviewed regularly by schools - aided by doing a yearly evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the programme. Likewise, assessment procedures have improved - thus encouraging and rewarding students for taking greater responsibility for their own learning and decision-making."

That is what it's all about: students taking control of their TY and making their own decisions. Who would have thought you'd hear that in school? While existing in-house programmes are improving, there are also plenty of non-academic organisations offering new projects. In fact, the competition is rife.

"A number of new options are ready for introduction and are piloting this year," says O'Leary.

'A TY ROAD SAFETY programme from the Road Safety Authority and Department of Education and Science is ready to go. The Financial Regulator and Money Advice and Budgeting Service (Mabs) are introducing 'Be Smart with your Money'. 'Log on Learn' is Intel's new TY programme, where students assist older people with their computer skills. The Irish Heart Foundation will be offering CPR training. Other organisations, such as Show Racism the Red Card and Combat Poverty Agency, are getting involved too."

The SLSS will also pilot a new careers game.

"The 'Be Real Game' is a careers and life-skills programme being delivered to schools through in-service by the SLSS and Transition Year Support," says O'Leary.

Even with all the innovation and increasing numbers of participating schools, TY still suffers from a reputation for being a waste of a year where students lose the good study habits they learnt during their Junior Cert. However, the most recent study of the impact of TY by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) indicate something different.

The 2005 report found that, "on average, students who took part in Transition Year achieved higher Leaving Certificate exam grades and were more likely to go on to higher education than non-participants, all else being equal."

The co-author of the report, Emer Smyth of the ESRI, found there are a number of reasons why this might be the case.

"Firstly, there's a performance gap," she says. "Students who choose to do TY in schools where it is not compulsory are generally more motivated and tend to do well anyway."

But there's more to it.

"Having an extra year means students are likely to think more about what subjects they should take for the Leaving Cert and sample new ones," she says. "They have more time to think about the level they'll take and also have the opportunity to change their attitude to study."

Work experience is an important part of TY. Students get the chance to pursue their interests and consider where those interests might take them. Correspondingly, schools can introduce them to different assessment techniques.

"In adult life people rarely work alone so teamwork and working to deadlines are two areas that can be looked at in TY," says Smyth. "The world of work experience is an important part of any programme, but it must be done in a structured way so that it's not just like a part- time job."

This is an important point. The ESRI report found that one group of students in particular who did not do as well in the Leaving Cert, having completed TY, were male students who took up part-time work in the year and continued working throughout the senior cycle. "Working part-time is common among secondary-level students and it is usually taken up in TY," says Smyth. "But whether students do Transition Year or not, if they're engaged in a lot of work outside school hours, it's less likely they'll perform well in the Leaving Cert."

If work experience is taken seriously it can be very beneficial. An interesting finding in the report showed how doing TY appeared to direct students towards the arts and business courses within senior cycle and beyond. Reasons for this included "the content of the [TY] programme, in particular the promotion of mini-companies and practical business activities in the course of the year. However, it is also likely to reflect the kinds of skills fostered through Transition Year, for example, the emphasis on interpersonal rather than practical skills."

With all these potential benefits, TY is still seen as an expensive luxury in some schools. Increasing participation in disadvantaged areas is still an issue, and two distinct areas need to be addressed. The first is resources.

"The uptake in disadvantaged areas has improved," says O'Leary. "There is more recognition of the benefits of doing TY. But the extra year can be expensive for some. Perhaps more funding or redistribution of funding to some sectors to encourage uptake could be considered."

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, Batt O'Keeffe, believes the capitation grant increase in 2007 should improve the situation.

"Each year, all schools are invited to participate in the TY," he states. "It is particularly important that schools serving disadvantaged areas are encouraged to provide the optimum range of innovative curriculum options including the TY [programme]. The rate of supplementary capitation grant per pupil was increased from €63.49 to €100 per pupil from September 2007."

The second issue is negative perception. Another group of students found by the ESRI to underperform in the senior cycle were students from disadvantaged areas where TY was compulsory. The report states that those students "tended to have higher drop-out rates than those in other school types. It appears, therefore, that Transition Year may not be as successful in academic terms in contexts where a higher proportion of students are less engaged in school life and where they are unwilling participants in the programme."

Once again, the perception of TY, by both students and their parents, as a doss year may be a factor.

"Conscious of the need to maintain study skills, schools are encouraged to ensure that essential skills are maintained through work in the school and at home and through the continued emphasis on the completion of portfolio work for local assessment," says Minister O'Keeffe.

"Although it may not be suitable for everyone, the TY [programme] provides an important opportunity for students to extend their learning, to experience innovative teaching approaches, to increase their social and civic awareness, to strengthen their preparation for the world of work and to allow scope for maturing and personal development free from the pressures of formal examinations," he adds.

Michael O'Leary believes the parental perception of TY as a waste of time is fading.

"Few parents now consider TY a waste," he says. "It's usually associated with misinformation or not knowing the rationale behind the year. As in all years in school, some students do not work to their full potential and this is no different in TY.

"However, there are approaches and strategies to encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning, ie portfolio assessment. In the past I have been quoted many times as saying that you get out of TY what you put into it - but isn't this true of everything?"