Dr. Margaret Leahy:

The question of addressing most of the issues of inequity and inclusion to which the Senator referred goes back to teacher education. I was about to say that the digital divide was about more than the provision of devices to children and getting devices into their hands, but about how they used them and evaluated and developed critical thinking skills around the use of that technology. In addition to outreach, that has to involve our schools. We need teachers who know how to use these digital devices or digital learning as an integral part of what they are doing in schools. It has to start with the teacher. I am sure Professor Venkat would say that STEM and digital knowledge has to begin at the very start in early childhood and primary school. Get children young and develop those skills and thinking so that we can progress them across the continuum.

I will make a comment about leaving certificate reform and the question of whether the tail is wagging the dog. Is it assessment or the programme? We do policy and curriculum well, but the traditional leaving certificate still involves rote learning and we know that teachers teach to the test. If we want to embed our curriculum reform, we need to consider what we are assessing at senior cycle in order to promote the kinds of thinker we are hoping to develop.