Ms Mai Fanning:

I am just going to address the fifth year and third year students. It is something that we at the Department of Education and Skills advisory group have discussed at length and will continue to discuss. Also in attendance at that meeting is the students' union, so we do have input from students. The fifth years and third years have missed an enormous amount of classroom and study time at an extremely important time in the curriculum as it stands. This will, of course, have to be addressed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, and the State Examinations Commission for 2021 examinations. Being able to cover the curriculum completely would be a feat for any student or teacher. The 2021 leaving certificate and junior cycle will have to be addressed and it will have to be adjusted. There will have to be provision made given that the entire curriculum cannot possibly be covered in the time that is going to be available to them. By the time they get back to school and settle in, they will have effectively lost three to four months of study time for that curriculum. Adjustments will have to be made.