Mr. Dalton Tattan:

I thank the Senator for her questions and comments. I may refer some of them to Ms Tansey and the National Educational Psychological Service, particularly those on the potential for continuous assessment to increase stress, because it is often talked about as something that would decrease stress, and the point the Senator just made on emotional well-being supports. The point the students made that they do not feel their experience, especially towards the end of their post-primary schooling, prepares them for the next stage of their lives is interesting.

We share some of that concern.

There was a conversation about the nature of the assessment process in particular. At primary level we can see how positive the experience has been and we are starting to see some of the rewards of what has happened in junior cycle reform. Yet when we get to senior cycle, everything gets determined by what is going to come up in the exam. To be honest, students figure this out very quickly for themselves. They know what is valued and will get tested and that is what they will focus on. They do not really want to focus on other things. They probably do in their lives but they know this is what they need to get through the process.

There is a real lesson in other countries and Scotland is a case in point. There was a recent OECD report noting that where changes were desired in curricula considering critical and other skills in senior cycle, various curriculum reforms can be made. For example, one could encourage different forms of teaching and support teachers to be able to deliver on that reform of curriculum. If the assessment system does not also fall into line with that approach, however, it will stall. Professor Gordon Stobart wrote that report for the OECD and spoke about a curriculum that encourages analysis and reflection, for example, but the exam comes down to elements like naming and describing. We can see if this is coming up in the leaving certificate, the question is almost why we are doing it?

We must learn from the experience of other jurisdictions. Other systems rely more on continuous assessment and some rely very heavily on it, including in Norway, which relies on much school-based assessment. Students said they want external assessment in such a scenario. We must look at other systems and see what we can learn from them. I hope that can reduce stress and allow students to demonstrate a broader repertoire of skills, and that they are learning in many different ways rather than simply in a written exam.

There was mention of the leaving certificate applied programme, which is really good. It is interesting in the context of the senior cycle review and it does many things quite differently. It spreads assessment load and there are many ways in which to get credits. There is an overall programme award. The problem, as identified by the committee, is progression after it. Unfortunately, it does not bring students anywhere after that point and it is something we must address in the context of this reform. It is something we are looking at very actively. It is a valuable programme and there are probably elements in it that would be of value to the leaving certificate group more generally. Equally, the leaving certificate vocational programme has very practical elements, including worlds of work and enterprise and education, etc. Why are those not more generally available to students to help prepare them in the way being discussed with the committee?

We have spoken about the 2022 adjustment already. There has been a level of disruption but we feel the adjustment made is sufficient for recognition and acknowledgement. Ms Tansey will speak to the stress issue in the context of continuous assessment and emotional well-being supports.