Professor Vincent Cunnane:

On leaving certificate reform, the sector is very much involved in that. Dr. Ryan is a member of a transition group on leaving certificate reform. One of the issues that we have to face as a result of the pandemic is that particular learnings will not be completed at second level. We will need to identify these gaps, which have occurred through no fault of the teachers, the schools or the students. Students have been on campus for a limited time only and so certain tacit skills as well as learnings which we would expect students coming in from the leaving certificate to have across a broad variety of areas will not have been achieved. It is important that there is early identification of the gaps in order that we can bridge those gaps and not assume that knowledge is there. This will be part of what we will have do, particularly for the cohort which comes in this year because they were disrupted in fifth year and are again being disrupted in their final year. It is part of what we need to do and we will do that. As a sector, we sit at the same tables on the issue of leaving certificate reform. Would Dr. Mulcahy like to come in on this issue?