Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. I appreciate that very much.

As a member of the committee on education, I was pleased, alongside my colleagues, to be able to waive pre-legislative scrutiny on this Bill. It is important we play our part in getting the Bill through the Houses. I thank the Minister for the manner in which it was brought before us through committee in respect of the discussions we had previously with her officials. I take this opportunity to thank the students for the significant advocacy they brought to bear on this process. The class of 2021, as fifth years, played a significant role, certainly in my constituency, coming to me to talk about the implications it would have on their education. The class of 2021 did not lose one year of normal education but two. It is important that this certainty is placed on the Statute Book to provide them with one less thing to worry about in the context of Covid-19 and the potential for them to contract Covid-19 prior to the leaving certificate if they have chosen to sit it, as 88% of students have done. It is important we provide them with the option to use the accredited grades system or the written exams or both.

The leaving certificate is very stressful at the best of times, never mind in the middle of a pandemic. I am conscious of the comments of a colleague, who mentioned that the leaving certificate is excellent at teaching leaving certificate students to sit the leaving certificate. However, in the long term - and I think the Minister is open to this conversation - we need significant reforms, as has been highlighted by a number of Deputies who have made contributions thus far in this debate. This is an opportune time for us to have that evaluation and to look at the outcomes. The leaving certificate exam - a terminal basis, as I think Deputy Gannon called it - as a measure of one's education, is not necessarily the most appropriate way to do things. Things have changed dramatically, and I believe there are opportunities for us to recognise that there are other ways to further and higher education. Sometimes the leaving certificate is not necessarily an appropriate measure to capture the intelligence or ability of a student to recall and drag out issues they have learned about in the preceding years.

I am encouraged by the section of the Bill which covers canvassing. It is appropriate that this be dealt with in black-or-white, right-or-wrong terms. It is that simple. It is important that we rectify the issues relating to the algorithms and the use of data that were experienced last year and that there is, as I think the Minister alluded to, a system in place to support the checking of the manner in which the system is operated by the SEC. Quality assurance, as I think the Minister referred to it. That is very appropriate.

I have mentioned the expansion of the debate on what the leaving certificate should look like and the fresh approach we should take. In the context of further and higher education, I welcome the fact that we are broadening our apprenticeship schemes, which are an extremely important part of the State's education offering.

I look forward to the Bill's progression through the House and its return to committee at some point in the near future.

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