Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

With respect, I hope I understand the Deputy's question. If he is expressing concerns in respect of the focus on teaching, I am not quite clear from where his underlying assumption that there are issues around teaching within the third level sector comes. Perhaps I missed something in that regard. There is a national strategy in respect of teaching in the higher education sector. The national forum for the enhancement of teaching and learning was launched in November 2012 and is chaired by Professor Sarah Moore of the University of Limerick. The national forum will consolidate and build upon the strengths of existing individual institutions and their teaching and learning frameworks. The work of the national forum is under way and I hope this provides an answer to one part of the Deputy's question. The national forum will provide a key system-level infrastructure for the support of the national strategy and serve as a platform for academic-led enhancement of teaching. Its focus will be on adding value by providing a structure through which these institutional and network initiatives can be synergised and leveraged. The nascent forum held its first meeting in March.

It is important to state that each academic institution has its own degree of autonomy. The Deputy will appreciate the higher education block grant of over €1 billion. I am of the view that the aims behind the national strategy will complement the goal of our making a greater economic impact through the creation of further jobs and enhance people's learning experience. As already stated, in the context of the teaching experience the national forum is examining the development of innovative pedagogies and the technologies which support these. In itself, this is quite innovative. It is also considering whether it might be necessary to broaden students' first year experience or whether prescribed courses should be retained.

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