Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There was a series of themes throughout the hearings. I am sure the witnesses have been following them. They have been very thought-provoking and there have been a lot of very interesting contributions. I agree with the points made by previous speakers about apprenticeships. We need to give those a very significant lift, increase the number of people going into apprenticeships and increase the prestige. Obviously some of that work lies with the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Minister, Deputy Harris, but there is a role for the Department of Education as well. The other major themes relate to continuous assessment and spreading the pressure of the terminal exam across a greater period. For example, under the system in Britain and in the North, students build their grades continuously over the course of three years between their GCSEs, AS levels and A levels. Is the Department open-minded about the idea of the leaving certificate qualification being accumulated over the course of the two years of the cycle in the form of accredited grades, fifth year exams or certain components being undertaken within fifth year?