Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Today, the Department of Education celebrates its 100th birthday. In 100 years, Ireland has moved from being a country with the poorest educational progression in Europe, with fewer than one in eight getting beyond primary level, to a country with the highest level of education participation. Thirty years ago this year, a national convention on education was held.

Given the watershed moment now in education, with massive changes in terms of digital, social media and the failure to reform adequately our leaving certificate, we need to consider having once again a national convention on education where these new challenges would be addressed and we would carve out a pathway for the future.

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