Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have had the privilege of visiting one to two schools per week - not just in my current job but since I became a Deputy - because one of my abiding interests is education. I go into very well-off schools - fee-paying schools. Deputy McDonald would be familiar with them. What I find is that the students have a collaborative learning experience. Often when I go into a poorer community, I find that many children drop out of secondary school around the age of 15 and 16. Through the school completion programme, we are keeping a huge number of children in school until their leaving certificate but the reason many children drop out is because the current curriculum does not meet their needs or interests. The junior certificate reform is part of a vital reform to make the school experience positive for many children and help them to complete it successfully.

All around the world, teachers at first, second and third level set, mark and assess their own pupils. It is accepted as being key in all of the best-performing countries in the world in terms of education. In respect of our children studying history, English or mathematics, Deputy McDonald wants everything to depend on a book-led examination rather than collaborative learning. I think she is wrong. I hope that teachers return to the negotiations. I noticed that Sinn Féin's spokesperson on education has spoken very well about being in favour of reform. Deputy McDonald is like St. Augustine, "Lord, make me reform but not just yet."

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