Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “That Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: "notes that:

— students, including those preparing for Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle examinations, have faced challenges in their learning as a result of disruptions caused by Covid-19;

— students are naturally eager to have certainty about the approach to be taken in respect of this year's State examinations; and

— school communities have made extraordinary and unstinting efforts to support the continuity of learning for their students during a very challenging and sustained period of time;

further notes that:

— through the Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations 2022, the Minister for Education is in very proactive and positive engagement with all key education stakeholders; and

— this engagement is ongoing, with the advisory group having met most recently in plenary session on 20th January, 2022, and bilateral meetings with stakeholder groups taking place since that meeting, including over the weekend and into this week;

recognises:

— the importance in hearing and understanding all voices and perspectives in respect of the most appropriate approach for the 2022 State examinations; and

— the need to bring clarity to the position for students as soon as possible in order to empower them to focus on their preparations for Leaving Certificate 2022; and

agrees that:

— the Government will continue to engage with stakeholders with a view to reaching an appropriate solution; and

— a decision in relation to these matters will be made as soon as reasonably practicable and that the decision will be announced immediately thereafter."

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire and his colleagues for tabling this motion for debate. I welcome the opportunity to speak to the House on the important matter of the State examinations.

I understand the sentiments and concerns underlying the motion and I appreciate that examination year students have faced significant challenges in their learning as a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19. I also acknowledge that these students are eager to have certainty about the approach to be taken to this year's State examinations. The Department of Education and I are currently involved in a process of engagement with education stakeholders regarding the 2022 State examinations. It is important that this process be allowed to conclude to inform the decision that will be taken. Consequently, the Government is tabling an amendment to allow this process to conclude. I welcome the opportunity to update Deputies on the progress of the engagements to date.I also want to advise of measures that have to date been put in place by my Department and by the SEC to help address the disruption to teaching and learning caused to leaving certificate students as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

I am keen to lean on the wisdom of all in the education sector in helping to provide certainty to our examination students as soon as possible and to allow them to focus on their preparations for the 2022 leaving certificate. It is important to hear and understand all voices and perspectives in respect of the most appropriate approach to the 2022 State examinations. Most important is the need for clarity for students. In this regard, I welcome the opportunity this evening to hear the views of Deputies on these important issues.

My Department and the SEC have been progressing planning for the 2022 junior cycle and leaving certificate examinations. This has been done in close consultation with the advisory group on planning for the State examinations and, of course, with public health. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers and school leaders as well as representatives from the SEC, NCCA, higher education and my Department. I acknowledge the significant contributions made by all members of the advisory group to the work on planning for the examinations.

I pay tribute to the extraordinary and unstinting efforts being made every day by school communities up and down the country to support the continuity of learning for students during what has been a challenging time. I am aware that the leaving certificate experience for the class of 2022 has been disruptive. The SEC, working with the Department of Education, has sought through a range of measures to take account of the disruption to learning experienced by these students. Adjustments have been made to the assessment arrangements that were announced in August 2021 for the 2022 state examinations. These adjustments were designed to take account of the disruption to learning experienced by students in the early part of 2021 as well as provide for some possible further disruption in the 2021-22 school year. They are considered proportionate to the students' experience and loss of learning and are educationally appropriate. They also ensure that the overall structure of the examinations remains intact but will allow for greater choice for students.

Just before Christmas, I made an announcement regarding the arrangements for leaving certificate oral examinations in Irish and modern foreign languages and the practical performance tests in leaving certificate music. These examinations will take place outside of school time over the first week of the Easter holidays with the examinations running in schools during the six-day period from Saturday, 9 April to Thursday, 14 April, inclusive. Holding these examinations over Easter and outside of school time will minimise disruption for schools and students. Timeframes for certain assessment elements of the leaving certificate applied examinations have been pushed out. There has also been a reduction in the amount of preparatory time required for some practical exams in order to give more time for tuition. Schools have been reminded of the available flexibility in terms of the dates for the completion and authentication of leaving certificate course work. I also announced that an alternative set of leaving certificate examinations would be run in 2022 shortly after the conclusion of the main set of examinations. This will be for students who are unable to sit the main set of exams for specific reasons.

In addition to those measures focused on exam year students, I have announced a series of broader measures to enhance teaching and learning in our schools. With a view to increasing the supply of substitute post-primary teachers to cover teachers absent from school for Covid-related or other reasons, I have introduced a range of emergency measures to provide increased numbers of substitute teachers. These include the release of student teachers from their college programmes to enable them to support schools; the cancellation of all teacher continuing professional development that gives rise to substitution needs; the deployment of teachers currently serving with the school support services to work in schools; requests to retired teachers to return to teaching duties; the ending of the abatement of salary payments to retired teachers for substitution work for this school term; a relaxation of career break and job-sharing restrictions for substitution purposes; and permission for post-primary teachers to work more than 22 hours per week, working extra hours to provide substitution cover, up to a total of 35 hours. The capacity of the school system to provide for remote tuition has improved significantly in recent times. While schools were closed as a result of Covid-19 from January 2021, all students, including students who are due to sit the 2022 leaving certificate examinations, engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools from 11 January 2021 until their return to in-person tuition. Fifth year students were also prioritised for a return to school following the return of sixth year students in spring of 2021.

I have introduced measures to address the greater impact on the education of some students and the learning loss suffered by them. These include the opportunity provided to primary and post-primary schools to offer summer provision, at a cost of up to €40 million, in addition to the €10 million allocated to a supplementary education programme, aimed at students with complex educational needs. In addition to this, provision of up to €52 million in extra teaching hours was made by the Department for the Covid learning and support scheme, under which a block of additional teaching hours is provided to each recognised school, from which schools can provide additional teaching support for students who have experienced difficulties in settling back into school and engaging with learning. Information has also been provided on well-being supports for leaving certificate students. This includes a series of supports on managing well-being, coping with uncertainty and managing stress and anxiety, developed by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, in the Department, to support students. My Department has worked with the Department of Health and the HSE to ensure that the most appropriate services and resources are clearly signposted for students.

As I have outlined previously, I continue to engage with all the partners in education on all matters relating to the leaving certificate 2022 examinations. At the most recent meeting of the State examinations advisory group a number of updates were received from group members, including reports of emerging and final results from surveys of their members which were conducted by some bodies. The meeting was positive and collaborative, with all parties committed to continued engagement in the short period ahead to provide clarity on the State examinations in 2022. It was agreed that the members of the group would reflect on the contributions made at the meeting and that engagement would continue between me and the various stakeholders on a bilateral and intensive basis. This bilateral engagement has continued since last week, over the weekend and into this week, with a view to reaching an appropriate solution that responds to the concerns and issues that have been raised by students and other stakeholders. A further meeting of the advisory group will be held and I am working towards a decision on the State examinations in 2022 being made as soon as is reasonably practicable. I am mindful that, under Standing Order 59, I am permitted to speak only once to the motion. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, will close the debate on behalf of the Government.

I commend once again all those working in schools to support students. The work of those who support students - teachers, school leaders, SNAs, bus escorts, secretaries, caretakers - has never been more important or more challenging. Those in examination years face added challenge beyond what is faced in normal years. My Government colleagues and I appreciate the need to bring clarity to the position for these students as soon as possible in order that they can focus on their preparations for the upcoming exams. I will continue to engage with stakeholders with the aim of reaching an appropriate solution as quickly as possible. I commend the Government amendment to the House.

See this speech in context