Mr. Dalton Tattan:

The Chairman raised the issue of mental health and well-being, which is a piece of great importance. It is one that is very challenging, particularly in those final couple of years at school. Perhaps Ms Tansey may want to speak about this a bit more after me. I will mention two things the committee should be aware of. The Department has its well-being policy statement and framework for practice, and it has provided supports to schools and sought to make well-being very much core to what schools do. They have done it so well but this is to provide them with further tools and guidance to help them in that area.

This is a very important point in the context of senior cycle because in all of the nuts and bolts matters of assessment, curriculum, different skills and so on, the point of well-being cannot be lost in all of that discussion because it is core to it. Students will need that sort of resilience to get through what is going to be, realistically even in a reformed senior cycle, some level of stress associated with this experience. It is, by its nature, high stakes but is not all or nothing and we are always very conscious of saying that. There are many avenues and routes towards getting to do what you want to do in life but it is a very important one for students. We can lower some of the stress levels in some of the reform measures we might choose to take but we might not ever be able to eliminate it fully.

Perhaps Ms Tansey may have some other things she may wish to say on that point.