Mr. Tim Conlon:

Thank you, Chair. My colleagues and I are pleased to assist the committee in its consideration of leaving certificate reform.

The leaving certificate is the primary assessment element of our national curriculum and facilitates the examination of the potential of students in terms of their knowledge of the national curriculum in their final senior-cycle year and ultimately defines their progression route into either further or higher education, which is our area of interest. It is critical that any assessment method is based on a robust and practical delivery method in assessing the capability of the learner. The leaving certificate examination should be fair and equitable, have strong quality assurance arrangements and have stakeholder buy-in, because it is the stakeholders - primarily the learners but also teachers, schools, higher and further education providers and employers - who will benefit directly from any reform agenda. In the context of both today's discussion and the areas to be examined, any reforms which may be considered should focus on improving the learner experience with a view to providing learners with the best possible opportunity to realise, develop and display their talents.

Currently, the majority of higher education entrants come directly from the leaving certificate in any given year. Hence, the connection between the second level sector and further and higher education sectors should be strengthened through any reform process and should focus on improving access and retention as learners transition from secondary to tertiary education, with a view to providing an even more seamless transition process.

The Higher Education Authority, HEA, has participated in the transitions group which has implemented several policy changes in recent years to address some of the issues associated with transition to higher education including, for example, the revision of the leaving certificate grading system and the streamlining of entry points to higher education programmes to simplify student choices. Any reform of the leaving certificate assessment model should provide for better connectivity and understanding of future career and associated education pathways for the learner, as the Minister has mentioned. Outside of leaving certificate assessment, it is also important to create and embed links between higher education providers and post-primary learners at other stages in their junior and senior cycle. In this regard, for example, the HEA funds ICT and entrepreneurship summer camps which engage post-primary school pupils with higher education institutions in short taster courses in these critical skills areas.

In addition, the HEA funds an access to apprenticeship programme which takes those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who may not have completed the senior cycle or who may not have achieved their desired leaving certificate outcome and offers them a pathway to apprenticeship. In this way, the recent expansion of apprenticeships into new sectors, such as hospitality, financial services and information and communication technology, presents opportunities for pre-apprenticeship programmes and traineeship programmes to be developed alongside traditional leaving certificate programmes. Any such developments should be supported by guidance services and ensure that the graduates have opportunities to progress to work and high-quality further and higher vocational and academic qualifications.

Regarding changes relating to information relevant to student choice, and specifically changes to the CAO system, the HEA has been involved in and welcomes the inclusion of apprenticeship and further education programme links and information on the CAO platform, as the Minister has mentioned.

As equity of access to higher education is one of the key priorities for the HEA, it is important that any reform of the leaving certificate takes account of the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged students in accessing higher education. The higher education access route, HEAR, and disability access route to education, DARE, schemes, which offer entry to courses on a reduced points basis for socio-economically disadvantaged students and students with a disability, are an important mechanism in that regard.

Overall, the leaving certificate, and any future reform of it, should ensure that all students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or who face barriers in terms of progression to higher education have as a fair chance of accessing higher education and achieving comparable outcomes as those from more affluent backgrounds. These outcomes cover both access to and progression through higher education, as well as completion and future career development.

The HEA works closely with the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education to examine and improve teaching and learning interventions in support of student success, aiming to provide a high-quality and supportive higher education environment for all students arriving in our universities, institutes and colleges.

As with other sections of society and the economy, the recent experience of the higher education system has demonstrated the need for flexibility and responsiveness in challenging circumstances. Higher education institutions are now examining the outcomes from their recent experience of remote provision in terms of teaching and learning, but also student supports. Discussions to date suggest that institutions are leveraging new ways of engaging with students, such as through digital learning and outreach from counselling and learning support services, alongside and complementary to more traditional higher education provision. The national forum is leading a national partnership project, Next Steps for Teaching and Learning: Moving Forward Together, to consider what we have learned since March 2020 and, crucially, what that means for the future of teaching and learning in Irish higher education.

Each student is different. This is a useful opportunity for us to consider how students' educational needs can be met as they transition from the senior cycle into apprenticeship, further education and higher education. This will require ongoing engagement and dialogue, not just at institutional or system level, but between educators at all levels in the education system as well as with students, their parents and their representatives.

I thank the committee for the opportunity to join this conversation. I am happy to answer whatever questions it may have.