Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011. Education is a vital part of Irish society and particularly in the current economic climate because education and training will play a significant part in the solution. Young people and teachers must be protected against the austerity brigade who are in this House and in society. The current Government policies on education and other areas are generating poverty and undermining a recovery that should be inclusive. Poverty and education seem to have disappeared from the mainstream political agenda and it is my duty to keep those issues on the agenda. There needs to be a common-sense response to providing solutions to the problems of this State. The future depends on education.

The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the amalgamation of a number of education bodies as part of an overall agency rationalisation programme announced by the previous Government in the 2009 budget. The amalgamation was confirmed in a commitment in the current programme for Government. The bodies concerned are the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the Further Education and Training Awards Council and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council. The new organisation will also be responsible for the functions currently performed by the Irish Universities Quality Board which was established by the universities themselves to assure their quality assurance arrangements. In addition, the Government agreed measures in June 2009 to promote and regulate the international education sector and this is to be welcomed. Provisions in this Bill are designed to empower the amalgamated organisation to develop an international education marque and code of practice for international education, including the English language sector.

Standards in education must be applied from the initial levels of education with the youngest children. The first day in preschool is a key day for most children and educationalists recognise the importance of a good start in education. The Minister of State, Deputy John Perry, will be aware of the question of the closure of small rural schools. Today, I met a group of parents and teachers involved in such schools in the west which are being hammered because of the closure of small rural schools.

We had some victories in the campaign for DEIS schools but some of them are suffering the cuts and the squeeze. I refer to the summer projects which are based in many schools during the summer holidays. Many teachers and principal teachers have contacted me in recent weeks concerning the reduction in the number of these educational projects.

FETAC has played an important role in Irish education. My experience of FETAC relates to children with a disability and the education system must be designed to support all children with an intellectual disability. Many children with physical disabilities are provided with a top quality education and are high achievers. However, we must ensure maximum support for the children and adults with an intellectual disability and FETAC plays a significant role in this regard.

I refer to the problems of literacy. There have been many positive changes in Irish education over the past decade and in the DEIS schools in particular. They are examples of good educational practice. I suggest that many mainstream schools could learn from the system in the DEIS schools because their system is often boring and old-fashioned. On the other hand, one will see in the disadvantaged schools the use of a radical curriculum as a means of dealing with major literacy and numeracy problems. Examples of good practice in these DEIS schools could be adapted for use in other so-called wealthier schools which seem to be focused on getting points for university and churning out students who may not have received a proper, rounded education.

There are talented young people in second level education who have great ideas for setting up businesses. These students may not come out with a certain number of points in their leaving certificate examination but we must realise that they have a contribution to make. They could be the people who will start a small business and employ five or ten people . There is a lot of talk and waffle in this House about foreign investment but-----

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