Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House for this debate on senior cycle reform of the leaving certificate. Ireland ranks highly across the world in its educational attainment and the quality of education we deliver. We see this both at our post-primary, secondary school level but also at third level, which is fantastic. Ireland ranks high over the European average, even when it comes to qualifications at third level, in Europe and globally.

I welcome the Minister's objective to "innovate, improve, and inspire". The Minister noted that from September 2025 young people and students going into fifth year will be able to avail of this brand-new reform of the leaving cert, which will include up to 120,000 additional students. It is critical that what we see in leaving certificate reform is to get away from the pressure of CAO points driving pressure on students and parents. That is the Minister's goal as well. Her statement referenced "externally-assessed components outside of ... written exams". The State Examinations Commission will of course review that. It does wonderful work that is particularly pressurised around the time of the leaving certificate and so on. What does the Minister potentially envisage as regards externally-assessed components? I take it that means continuous assessment, and perhaps over the two years will include both fifth year and leaving certificate. Will this include essays and lab work? How does she see that working? Will it be online? How will it be streamlined for the State Examinations Commission? Are we looking at additional staff for that body? What sort of systems can we put in place there to assist with this development we will be looking at in two years' time?

The new subjects, including climate action and drama and theatre studies, are very welcome.We have our own town hall, a great musical society and a town band in Ballinasloe so that will be welcome across both Roscommon and Galway. Climate action is, of course, on every young person's mind, particularly with everything they see in the news every single evening. The Minister also mentioned PE and computer science, one of the more recently added subjects.

The engagement with all stakeholders the Minister has referenced is very welcome. She included the student voice, particularly during the Covid pandemic. I hope that will be part of her engagement with stakeholders going forward. I would very much welcome such engagement and engagement with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.

My colleague in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, noted the very important forum put together with the Minister and her Department, the senior cycle redevelopment partners forum. The goal was to reduce points pressure under the CAO system but it was also to look at all of these pathways for young people once they complete their leaving certificate. The apprenticeship programme and further education courses should be available on the CAO website.

Does the Minister have any thoughts on career guidance in our secondary schools with these new subjects and continuous assessment coming on stream? Are there ways we can work with our young students and get them to think about those placement programmes, perhaps in the new transition year the Minister may be looking at?

It was very welcome to have the results in August. Students will have been delighted with that. With the senior cycle reform the Minister is delivering in the Department of Education, we are going to deliver a great deal of choice to our young people. It is going to be flexible and assessment will not all hinge on the outcome of one day of written exams after two years of work. It means that students of all abilities will be able to give their all. Students, our young people, are ready, and we want them to be ready, to explore and discover the world, to take up their career of choice and to do what best suits them, their abilities, their skills and their talent. That can be achieved in many ways. It is about supports. Sometimes, it is about engagement with the parents on how we want to see their children succeed in life and what success looks like for our young people. That is really important. Sometimes, engagement with parents, the National Parents Council and boards of management, as well as with our young people, is required. As the Minister has stated before, there are many stakeholders involved in this.

Our students are the leaders of the future and will be taking active roles in our society. They will be sitting in the Cathaoirleach's chair in a few years' time. They will be able to take on these challenges. They will have the knowledge, the skills and the problem-solving abilities that we and the Minister's Department will be able to give them. They will be able to take on apprenticeships and further and higher education. They will be able to take a year out if they need to before, it is to be hoped, deciding what they want to do with their lives going forward.

The Minister spoke about how seven subjects, including biology, physics, chemistry and business, will have non-exam assessment elements. From what she has said, I believe this will involve essays and project work. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. An idea and practice has been built up around grinds schools and private education preparing students for the leaving certificate exams. It is very important to acknowledge that the external continuous assessment component through the SEC will really evaluate a student's ability and potential over those two years.

I will take this opportunity, if I may, to briefly raise some of the challenges I see locally in the Ballinasloe area. The Minister may be aware of them. Her office has been very good. There is an issue I have raised with her office this week and in a Seanad Commencement debate last week. The challenge in Ballinasloe relates to primary school capacity. The Minister has been very supportive of our brand-new school, Scoil an Chroí Naofa. We spoke about it the very first time I was in the Seanad. We have planning permission approved, which is absolutely wonderful, but it is going to take three years to build. Our second primary school has had two additional classrooms delivered this summer through the additional accommodation unit. That is absolutely wonderful but we are running to stand still. Those two schools still have waiting lists in spite of these developments, some of which will take three years to deliver. There is concern and strain. The Minister has visited Ballinasloe. She came to visit St. Teresa's Special School in the town. Now is the time, if possible, to meet with the school planning unit in the Department of Education and with some of the school principals and educational welfare officers who have come to me with serious concerns. I would love to work with these groups, with the Minister and with the Department to see how we can put a plan in place for September of next year. We have great new additional housing in Ballinasloe. We will be welcoming new families but our services as regards primary school capacity are very challenged. I invite the Minister to visit Ballinasloe again. She would be very welcome. If possible, it would also be great if she could meet these groups in Dublin. I thank the Minister for her time and support.