Ms Moira Leydon:

Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked about the engagement with reform. The ASTI is on the council and we will engage with any public consultation. It would be misleading of me to not state explicitly that the ASTI is not in the business of countenancing any proposal that links teachers assessing students for the State examination. That would be the red line we would not cross. Yes, one can supplement and balance written examinations with all sorts of practical examinations, oral examination, aural examinations etc. If a proposal emerges, however, that teachers would assess and award marks that would go towards the final State examination, then we would be back where we started, unfortunately. Such a proposal is not in anyone's interest. While we will engage, that will be the point from which we will start.

Deputy Tony McLoughlin suggested that examination stress could be reduced by continual assessments. Young people face challenges that we have no idea about and it is quite terrifying. Examination stress is not the only stress experienced by young people. We have had another fantastic debate on this matter. I must compliment the legislators for spearheading a debate on social media and its impact on young people's well-being. Achievement stress and academic stress is one dimension in one dimension of that. Perhaps continuous assessment can alleviate such stress. As Ms Irwin has said, however, a cursory analysis of the timetable for a child studying ten subjects will reveal there are tests at the end of each week, end of term tests and classroom-based assessments, CBAs, or one could be in third year or could have practical work to be undertaken. The one lesson we have all learned from the junior cycle is that assessment should not drive the curriculum. Instead, the curriculum should drive the assessment.

I get the feeling that there is a nuanced understanding of assessment and what role it should play.

Spreading it out can alleviate stress, but there is much more that legislators can do for student well-being. Bringing some of the social media giants to heel and making them deliver on their corporate social responsibilities is a good way of dealing with this societal issue.