Ms Sorcha Ní Chonghaile:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to present here today. My name is Sorcha Ní Chonghaile and I am the Oifigeach na Gaeilge with the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union, ISSU. The ISSU is the umbrella body for second level students in Ireland. It raises the concerns of students and campaigns for better quality of education and access. Students are one of the main stakeholders in education and we work to ensure that the student voice is heard on matters that concern us.

On curriculum reform, it is vital that each subject is reviewed individually. Subjects like the Irish language in particular require consultation with various partners, including those in sectors that are working in the Irish medium. Some subjects require urgent reforms, such as the leaving certificate art curriculum which has not been revised since 1972. The leaving certificate has also become too predictable and, as a result, there is a heavy focus on rote learning.

On assessment and examination timelines, the ISSU believes that many subjects do not provide enough continuous assessment opportunities and the focus on an end of year exam after a two-year period causes students, teachers and school staff extraordinary stress and anxiety. Many students suffer from ill health as a result of the workload and stress associated with the course. The examination timeline is almost cruel as students are assessed on two years' worth of learning in the space of two weeks at the very end. In the case of illness or family bereavement, there are no opportunities to repeat examinations for a further 12 months.

Our members feel there is a stigma attached to the leaving certificate applied course. The uptake is extremely low. According to the State Examinations Commission the uptake of leaving certificate applied is decreasing, at only 4.7% or 2,773 students in 2017, down from 5% in 2015. This is a clear indication that the leaving certificate applied does not cater to the needs of our students. It was imagined as a course that would also support student retention, but how the programme is recognised, credited and valued has proved an issue and, as such, the participation remains low. This is a shame as there are potentially particular communities where young people are involved in the fishing, agricultural or equine industry that would benefit greatly from a reform of this course.

On learning environments and learning support, a student’s success in the leaving certificate often depends on the school in which they are enrolled. Equity of access to learning support and a high quality learning environment is crucial for a successful leaving certificate result. Some schools struggle to provide basic elements like access to computers, high-speed broadband or other resources to support a student’s learning. Personal development opportunities should be made available to teachers on digital education to support the increase of technology in the classroom, and schools need to be supported and funded efficiently if there are to be any reforms in the use of technology for the senior cycle course.

On examiners, recruitment and teacher assessments, the ISSU is aware of concerns among teachers that they will be required to assess their own students. However, for the well-being of second level students in Ireland, there must be a better balance between continuous assessment and exams throughout the two years. We are also aware of the issues in recruiting examiners. We suggest that graduates of specific subjects be given upskilling opportunities to become examiners to meet the shortages in this sector. Short courses for graduates of languages, science, etc. could be made available to qualify those who meet the criteria. This could be a similar model to the Tefl English course which is available online or in part-time learning modules. Upskilling in this area could also support the development of a regional panel of examiners which could address the issues with recruitment and provide external examiners throughout the year to support teachers with continuous assessments and providing detailed feedback on students’ performance.

The ISSU believes that a student's health supersedes any grades or points. Unfortunately, we are in a situation where stories of students falling to ill health, especially mental health, as a result of exam stresses are not uncommon. The fact that many people still experience so-called leaving cert dreams years on is a clue to how traumatic the experience can be.