Ms Anjelica Foley:

I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin for his question. It is really important that I frame my response in light of the current situation of the leaving certificate. I sat my leaving certificate this summer and, as I am sure the committee is aware, all of us here have sat our exams. At the moment, due to the pandemic and the changes, it is more stressful than ever. Students, whether they are high or low achievers, are always stressed. Right now there are students around the country who scored maximum number of points and still did not get the places they wanted. They still did not get their first choice. Can one imagine the stress those students face? Can one imagine the stress a student faces when it comes to the Central Applications Office, CAO, and waiting for those results as well as for junior cycle students who until last week did not know when they would get their results? Exams will always be stressful but there is so much we can do to make them less stressful. It is really important that we do not just consider the students. It is also really important that when we are making these changes, we speak to the teachers too. In Ireland we have one of the best education systems in the world and it is not just because of what we are teaching students but because of the relationships that teachers and students have. Students and teachers and the pastoral care system mean that students can build a real connection with their teachers andvice versa. That is really important with mental health supports, that is, that students can trust their teachers andvice versa. Reform is important but it is really important that when we talk about reform, we talk to everybody to encourage positive change so we do not have to reform it again so drastically in 20 years' time.