Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Of course it is not happening in every school, but I stress that we will not do this only on a pilot basis as I want every school to do it.

I strongly believe that one cannot simply teach students about rights and responsibilities in the CSPE class, one must also give them actual responsibilities in the place where they spend much of their day. Many schools have found that giving students a say in school decision-making has helped create a sense of partnership between students and staff and contributed to developing a positive environment in the school. A working group on student councils has recently completed very valuable work in this area and produced much material, including a website, to support schools in the establishment and operation of effective student councils.

The other group that must have a voice in the school is parents. They are partners in education and must be genuinely involved in the education of young people. It is not sufficient simply to have two parents on the board of management or involved in fundraising. Their active involvement can ensure that aside from issues like behaviour, all other good practices in schools can also be far more effective.

In the past year, I have also stressed my commitment to supporting educational pathways outside the school system which may be better suited to the needs of some students than is the formal school system. This is not, as Deputy Enright suggested, a permanent separate parallel school system for those students who do not fit. While some Members have sought to focus solely on leaving certificate results and entry to third level education as a measurement of our young people's educational attainment, I have criticised this attitude at every opportunity. I am committed to reform our school curriculum, where necessary, to make it more relevant and to ensure that it meets the needs of today's students.

I also strongly believe that those young people who decide that an apprenticeship or other training opportunity outside school better meets their needs should be supported in that decision, so they are genuinely given an opportunity to reach their full potential as individuals. However, I reject outright the determination of Fine Gael——

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