Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It was due to that worrying trend that I believe the Minister put so much focus on reforming the junior cycle, and we welcome that.

I realise it is stating the obvious but it is vital for the development of our education system that we get this reform right. The previous speaker referred to the timeframe the Minister proposes for implementing this reform. While there might be some concerns about that, it is better to do it over a longer period and get it right, rather than rush it. I am not very concerned about the timeframe the Minister envisages. It is far more important to ensure the processes are put in place, all the stakeholders are on board and everybody knows their responsibilities. If that takes a little longer that we would like, we will reap the dividends in the longer term.

Some of the proposals referred to in the motion will form part of a wider, overarching strategy for our education system. This reform is only one element in education. We see the benefits with the legislation relating to SOLAS in terms of higher learning and the benefits of that. We have seen some of the success with primary schools. Therefore, we cannot look at the reform of the junior cycle in isolation, but as part of the entire education cycle. However, one of the challenges will be resourcing it. We are considering the reform of the junior cycle at a time when we are faced with huge economic challenges. There have been cuts in the education budget over a number of years and there will be further cuts this year and next year.

The cuts have an impact on how this reform is implemented and we need to be conscious of that. Last year's cuts and the cuts that will be announced this year will have an impact on front-line services. The greater the impact on front-line services, the more difficult it is to implement reform at this stage. We need to be conscious of that point. Notwithstanding that, there is a sense of nervousness or anxiety about the changes from some of the stakeholders. We need to examine in a constructive way what is being proposed. We need to work collectively towards implementing an improved school curriculum and the reform proposed by the Department. We are talking about the future educational attainment of our children. The Minister stated the need to improve the future life chances of students in school is central to the reform of the junior certificate. This involves shifting from the rote learning system to a system that improves the quality of student learning and the outcomes. For that reason, in principle we welcome the move away from the terminal exam, where the focus is on one exam.

The focus on continuous assessment will reap dividends. The research shows that ongoing continual assessment of students' progress is better over a longer period of time rather than assessment through a one-off, final exam. The Minister mentioned some of the models in his contribution and the one that comes up most when I speak to people is the Finnish education model. The success of the model exists where the school has no standardised testing because it narrows the curriculum. The focus is on testing rather than the teaching process. The change in the curriculum is not without challenges for stakeholders. Some of the concerns raised by previous speakers notwithstanding, it is a step in the right direction and I appeal to everyone to work together constructively and try to implement this as quickly as possible.

The Minister referred to going beyond some of the recommendations and he outlined the reasons for that. Regarding the concerns raised, some people are talking about this leading to league tables and schools' assessments not being an accurate reflection of students' abilities. It remains to be seen whether these genuine concerns are well-founded but they need to be factored in. We need to address these points if there are genuine concerns. One of the key considerations behind the proposed new approach is to expand the number of options schools can offer students. The Minister touched on one of the key elements: flexibility. It is critical because without that flexibility the Minister cannot hope to achieve what he set out to do. Within the three-year cycle, schools may be able to implement a combination of subjects, short courses and other learning experiences. It will provide a much better tailored junior cycle, which can be matched to schools, baseline demographics and student profiles. This is critical. All of this is being done to enhance the involvement of students and their parents in shaping the programmes that will best serve the students. That is what we need to retain in focus. If we do so, it will be a progressive measure and the benefits will be borne out in the longer term.

The Minister referred to the potential of priority learning units. They are important aspects of the reforms. They will allow students with learning difficulties to attain the best possible outcomes. It is a key part of the reform and we welcome it.

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