Mr. Gary Ó Donnchadha:

The Department of Education and Skills and schools now place a major emphasis on the student voice. It is in the Education Act. Schools are encouraged to tap into and access the student voice, and they can do this through the school self-evaluation process and the external inspections of schools through the whole-school evaluation, WSE. Every whole-school evaluation that is conducted involves a student questionnaire to survey students directly on the issues of concern to them. Those responses are processed. As I reflect on it, it might be a wholesome thing to check the issues that are coming up in terms of the assessment experience and the examination experience of students during the course of the junior cycle. These might be a very appropriate set of questions to ask. The students are on a learning journey during the three years and, at various points, really valuable information surfaces. The outcomes of the WSE questionnaires are published for the school system. Indeed, they form a relevant part of each school's own reflection on its services and the quality of its provision, and the data from the evaluations is published along with the school report. That is a very important point.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is actively involved in supporting the student voice as well.

Dáil na nÓg frequently highlights issues of concern. Our Department goes to the Dáil na nÓg events where we are often called to account and called on to respond. Where concerns are summarised in themes, we happily take them on board and feed them in wherever the change is needed. It gives the young people agency in their own lives. We also encourage that at school level where they can comment on their learning experience.