Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister to the Chamber for this very important debate. I know of her personal deep commitment to education and notwithstanding the criticisms of Senator Warfield there is a very clear commitment on the part of the Government to education. It is our top priority. It is probably reflected in the number of speakers on the Government side who are present. There will be no shortage of speakers on the Government side wishing to offer on education, in contrast to the Opposition benches. Senator Warfield also offered criticism of the Government in terms of outlining the full range of challenges which the Minister faces. They are considerable. However, it should be remembered that Sinn Féin opposed the establishment of the Department of further and higher education in this very Chamber on Friday. Notwithstanding how much work the Minister already has to do, Sinn Féin would have given her even more work dealing with the challenges facing our universities and colleges had its approach been followed.

The Minister has certainly had a baptism of fire. I do not think any Minister in their first four weeks in Marlborough Street has had to face the range of challenges she has, dealing with issues from predictive grading for the leaving certificate to ensuring that our schools are reopened at the end of August. It is really welcome that she has delivered a substantial package of €375 million to ensure that the schools will be open. I join colleagues in welcoming, in particular, the appointment of 120 guidance counsellors. Apart from the importance of students being able to get access to their academics, their health and well-being are also going to be essential during this difficult period. What plans does the Department have, if we see an outbreak in a particular area or school, to ensure those students' education can continue? If there is a particular community or school that has to close because of a cluster, what plans are in place? Will those plans be made widely available?

There is a need to focus on supporting last year's fifth years, who are now moving into their leaving certificate year. It is going to be as difficult for the incoming leaving certificate students as for those last year. They have to be at the centre of our thoughts. There is also going to be the question of the school bus challenge. Being from Kerry, the Minister will know as well as I do, coming from Wexford, that at the best of times the issue of school buses is a challenge. There is a need for a review of the whole school bus scheme. It is essential that there is a lot of clarity for those who have to use school buses over the next month. I ask the Minister to outline that to the Chamber and to a wider audience.

Colleagues have mentioned concerns around schools that are already overcrowded and that face a number of challenges. In Gorey and Wexford town there is already a shortage of secondary school places. This is going to place additional pressures on those schools. It is a matter of looking at the specific geographical areas where those problems arise. The Minister is often going to be firefighting, but I join Senators Hoey and Pauline O'Reilly in welcoming the idea of a citizens' assembly on education. It is crucial that the Department also focuses beyond the pandemic and considers how we can invest in this area having a long-term strategy. I ask the Minister to have regard to the strategy on modern European languages that is being introduced by the Department. We must ensure that there is access to European languages from primary level on. One of the big challenges at second level is that there is a shortage of language teachers. This is something the strategy needs to develop.

We need to look at technology education. The pilot technology programme is in place in quite a number of second level schools. We have to look at expanding it. Equally essential from primary level on is that we enhance the levels of digital literacy such that students are able to understand how to use technology but also to differentiate between fake news and real news. It is important that we expand education in the area of democracy and rights. We have a successful politics and society programme which began as a pilot and is now becoming more widely available. I join calls that student participation right through the entire education process at an appropriate level would be encouraged. We also have to continue to invest in creativity and design. Given how we are all adapting our workplaces and school, the importance of understanding design also needs to be emphasised.

It is a cause for concern that the bell curve that is going to be used with regard to the calculated grades for this year's leaving certificate needs to be clearly explained to and understood by a wider public. I wish the Minister well in her role. I encourage her to be ambitious for our education system and our learners. I am quite certain she will be.