Ms Rita Sexton:

We are conscious that in primary schools there is much more flexibility because the same teacher is with students all day. That is why there is so much change in post-primary schools. The junior cycle framework is significant in that regard. It is not so much focused on the content of the curriculum, rather it is about learning outcomes. It is about teaching students to be responsible citizens, competent and confident in order that they will have good decision-making skills. Part of the junior cycle framework is the well-being programme. At post-primary level well-being might have been seen as coming within the remit of the guidance counsellor.

However, the emphasis now is that the well-being of students is the responsibility of all staff in the school. The well-being programme is a whole-school initiative. Within that programme there are the subjects we mentioned already, namely, physical education, PE, social, personal and health education, SPHE, civil, social and political education, CSPE, and guidance is also included in it. There is a good deal of flexibility in the well-being programme for schools to include whatever they consider is necessary to meet the needs of their student cohort. They could bring in a person to talk about bullying or healthy eating and there is a real emphasis now on the well-being student. As part of the junior cycle framework, the emphasis is on moving away from the strong focus on the terminal exam. There is a focus now on the classroom-based work of the student, which lifts a certain level of stress off the students.

In terms of vending machines, it is not really an issue at primary school level. Our life skills survey in 2015 showed that practically no primary schools have vending machines. It showed that 27% of post-primary schools did have vending machines.