Mr. Paul Rolston:

We would not agree with that either. The bottom line is that education is much more than just pure academics. Many people have suggested many possible methodologies for changing the curriculum and how we do things.

We are trying to teach our children to love learning in order that they can learn for themselves outside school as well as in school. Sport and physical exercise are crucial in the context of mental wellness, socialising and many other aspects of children's wellness. Neither primary nor post-primary parents would be happy if the curriculum were changed and sport and similar activities withdrawn.

Prior to Covid, there was a meeting in Athlone which was attended by parents' groups, including the NPCPP and the NPCP, on special needs facilities and the maintenance and increase of supports within schools. Those discussions have been shelved or at least paused because of Covid. The matter was being addressed. The parents demanded that the level of support for special needs students in our schools be ramped up significantly.