Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I understand that approximately 90% of primary schools are already using some form of testing. We are aiming to ensure that teachers will use the test for the benefit of children, teachers and parents, and for the learning experience of children, not with a view to imposing further tests on children. At the moment, a number of different means are used for assessment. This will be one of them in a school context. Homework, for example, is a way of assessing children. Teachers say that the most obvious way to assess a child's knowledge and ability is observation, whereby they are able to witness the child's progress in the classroom, which is what teachers are trained to do. However, they are looking for further help and support in this regard.

On early education, it has been proven that children from disadvantaged areas, in particular, depending on their family's literacy level, can benefit most from early education. This is why, under the new action plan for disadvantage, the DEIS programme, there will be an expansion of the number of areas which will be included in an early education programme to ensure these children can be prepared for school.

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