Ms Ann O'Dwyer:

I will pick up on the point made by Senator Pauline O'Reilly about the relationships across age groups in schools. Some schools address that aspect by providing a house system where vertical relationships connect teachers to students right from senior classes to junior classes. It means students meet socially and have events, including competitive events, together. The system is intended to increase socialisation across the school as well and it also reflects more of a microcosm of life and society after school. Some schools have very good examples of such organisation. It is not widespread, but it is worth looking at.