Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to this role and wish her the very best. I have no doubt that with her background and experience in other Departments and the ability she has shown in politics, she will do her best and justify her appointment. I look forward to working with her. On the day that is in it, I wish the outgoing Minister of State, Deputy Ciaran Cannon, the very best. He was very good to work with. He worked very hard and was very committed to his role. It is unfortunate that he is moving on and someone else is taking over. However, I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, well in his appointment. No doubt Deputy Cannon will contribute further in many other roles and I particularly wish him well today.

I remind the Minister that there are many issues which must be a priority for her as she begins her new tenure. The future of small rural schools is one on which I sincerely hope she will change tack from her predecessor. I also hope she will reverse the damage done to guidance counselling and to the post-leaving certificate sector. However, one of the biggest issues facing her as the new Minister is the question of junior certificate reform.

I want to be clear from the outset that my party and I accept there is a strong case, rationale and need for junior cycle reform in our secondary schools. We also acknowledge that such reform must include change in terms of how examinations are done to ensure the junior certificate examination process becomes a much lower stakes examination and that the focus is on learning and not on final examinations and on teaching to an examination. However, we believe that such a substantial reform of our education system needs to have detailed implementation plan and we hold that it is essential to involve all stakeholders in a process of consultation and implementation and that teachers in our post-primary schools must have confidence in these reforms. Above all, we believe that any reform of the system should not diminish the integrity and transparency of the current junior cycle.

It is almost two years since the former Minister, Deputy Quinn, launched his reforms.

Right from the start, there was deep concern about the absence of any independent assessment of the new proposed junior cycle student award. This concern was underscored by the fact that the Minister ignored the recommendations of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to retain some element of a final independent examination. At no stage did the former Minister appear to be engaging seriously with post-primary teachers on the reforms. Now, there is a very real prospect of industrial action in our schools on foot of this.

Teachers, parents and students alike want to ensure there is consistency in the marks given for the junior cycle student award across the country, that students can have faith their results are genuine and the marking system is independent. That is a fair request. A recent survey indicated over 60% of parents are in favour of retaining independent assessment at junior cycle level. Speaking to many students myself, I know they very much believe in the need for independent assessment.

In this the last week before the recess, will the Minister engage on these issues and delay the start of the implementation of the new junior cycle so that English begins the following September alongside science? In that way, the overall roll-out will not be delayed. This will ensure everyone is working together and we see a new approach in addressing the issues I have outlined.

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