Dr. Mary Kelly:

Transitions are always hard for children and parents, whether it is going from early childcare into primary school or from there into post-primary education. There is probably an onus on everyone in this regard. Listening to the earlier conversation, I think sixth-class teachers in future will have a view of what children's dispositions are, that is, whether they are more arts-based, tend to be more problem-solving or prefer collaborative learning. These are the sorts of things I would rather be hearing from sixth-class teachers, rather than them telling students to do biology or mathematics. It is too early at that stage. Children are still developing and growing. It is obviously important when they transition into first year that parents are then involved and brought in. I refer to the idea of taster classes and being allowed to choose everything.

I did chemistry and biology for my leaving certificate. I went on and did primary school teaching. Nothing is further from those subjects, but I was able to bring other skills because I had done those subjects. We should not, therefore, get too bogged down on labels and subjects. We should focus instead on the disposition of children and on keeping them central. There will be time. If we are committed to life-long learning, then just because students do an undergraduate degree in something will not stop them from going on to be something completely different. Equally, we are not even aware of the jobs that will exist in future. Why are we getting obsessed with this aspect? I would take a more broad-minded position to ensure children experience everything. They should have technological experiences but also experiences in art. We must guide children along the way but not tunnel-vision them into paths too quickly. This would be a much better approach.