Ms Cliodhna O'Neill:

To be very clear, the Department absolutely does not support the type of use alluded to. As Ms Bumster has said, a clear message in this regard has gone to schools from TESS. The practice of Ms Bumster, colleagues and the inspectorate is informed by information we get in this space, so we proactively remind schools if we see a pattern that is not reflective of appropriate use. We are very keen to ensure that we follow up on this, that the purpose of reduced school days is clearly understood and that they should not be used in the manner implied. We will continue to take the matter very seriously. The data we have will inform our practice and also help to inform the inspectorate. We have a programme within the Department, namely, the school improvement programme. There are certain markers, and what has been referred to is certainly one of them. We will be taking this very seriously.