Ms Carmel Kearns:

On Deputy Thomas Byrne's question of interplay between knowledge and skills, I endorse the contribution made on what can be a false dichotomy between knowledge and skills. In the Teaching Council when we refer to teachers' learning, we see it as much more complex. It is about knowledge, skills and competences. It is also about attitudes, values and dispositions. It is equally the case with students' learning. Building on what Mr. Aidan Farrell from the State Examinations Commission spoke about, it is probably not so much we should have the focus on those nouns such as "knowledge", "skills", "competences", "attitudes", "values" and "dispositions" but on the verbs we put with them. It is not just about acquiring knowledge but reflecting on that knowledge, discussing it, sharing and shaping it. Most importantly, it is about students and teachers working together as co-creators of knowledge.