Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, in light of the deep concern regarding, among other things, the resourcing of schools, training of teachers and impact of artificial intelligence on the validity and authenticity of additional assessment components, and the related recent vote of rejection by the ASTI union, she will pause her accelerated plan for senior cycle redevelopment and re-engage with teachers and their representatives to ensure their concerns are addressed and the quality and integrity of the leaving certificate is maintained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31564/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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In light of the deep concern relating to, among other things, the resourcing of schools, training of teachers and impact of artificial intelligence on the validity and authenticity of additional assessment components, and the related recent vote of rejection by the ASTI union, will the Minister pause her accelerated plan for senior cycle redevelopment and re-engage with teachers and their representatives to ensure their concerns are addressed and the quality and integrity of the leaving certificate is maintained?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As has just been discussed, senior cycle redevelopment is about recognising and meeting the promise of education and enabling students to navigate the dynamic and ever-changing world around them by helping them to develop their talents, skills and understanding. Every child is different and has different abilities and, by bringing in these additional assessment components, we will make sure every child has the opportunity to show that. Senior cycle redevelopment will also reduce pressure on students by moving away from single exams worth 100% of the marks. It builds on a significant amount that has been done on additional assessment. There are 28 subjects in the established leaving certificate that already do this. I benefited from it when I studied art and music and know how positive it can be when a student is not solely focused on the 100% exam. I am sure many others here know that as well. I and many others believe pausing senior cycle redevelopment would not be in the interest of meeting that promise. That is why it was confirmed in April that the programme for redevelopment will proceed. Importantly, at that point I provided students entering fifth year in September, and their parents, with clarity and certainty. They have chosen their subjects and know what they are doing and that this change is taking place.

Senior cycle redevelopment is already under way. It is important to stress that. Students began to experience the changes from September 2022 when changes were made to the leaving certificate applied and vocational as well as the revised transition year programme statement ,which is now in place. We are seeing record levels of transition year participation. Regarding the school year just concluded, we know that students have been able to access modules at levels one and two of the senior cycle for the first time. These are children with additional educational needs and it is very welcome that we now have this for the first time. Both teacher unions have been heavily involved in the redevelopment programme from its outset and I am grateful to them for their intensive engagement, not only in recent months but through many years.

The Deputies referred to the ASTI ballot result but I point to the fact the TUI voted in favour of the planned support measures by a margin of 73% to 22%, while the ASTI members voted to reject the package. Senior cycle redevelopment has also been strongly supported by students, the National Parents Council, the Ombudsman for Children and many others.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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We need to separate some of the issues here. Nobody is arguing against senior cycle redevelopment. What is relevant is the approach. We need to be clear that the issue is the accelerated approach and the level of preparedness at school and departmental levels across the board to make these changes. The resourcing of schools is a very clear issue. The resources to adequately resource schools are not there and neither are the plans. It is the same with the training of staff.

I wish to focus on the issue of artificial intelligence. I firmly believe the impact of artificial intelligence has not been adequately assessed. The Minister stated students will have the opportunity to look at AI and then replicate it in an exam scenario. That is not the issue. Rather, it is that the actual AI material is presented as the student's own work. There is no scrutiny or oversight of that. Researchers from Deakin University stated, "Generative artificial intelligence ... increasingly allows students to complete assessment tasks without possessing the relevant knowledge or skills." That is a fundamental empirical piece. The issue here is the integrity and quality of the leaving certificate.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As to the Deputy’s first point, I refer to the former Minister, Ruairí Quinn, who introduced junior cycle reform in the face of challenges. That work was followed up on by another former Minister, Jan O’Sullivan.

Very soon after that, in 2016, leaving certificate reform started. This is not accelerated. It takes time and will be done on a phased basis.

On the supports, in the past six months alone, €20 million in additional funding has been provided specifically for science subjects, including agricultural science where we have increased that funding, and there will be more. I can commit to the Deputy that there will be more funding for our science labs to make sure they are up to scratch and that they have the supports and the resources they need. More training than ever for the leaving certificate is being provided. Papers are being provided earlier. There are more papers than there normally would be. Everything we can do is happening and if we need more training, I am saying now and have said it to the associations that we will provide that.

As to guidance, the point I was making is that in our current exams, a student can simply remember an essay and replicate it. That is not going to change. It is about understanding how we utilise the benefits of AI and teaching children how to use it. When they go in to the workforce, nobody will be telling them they cannot use it.

In summary, there are the measures to date, papers have been presented for AI, more work is being done and there is the AI advisory council. We need to keep working with teachers throughout all of this to make sure everybody benefits from what will be part of our daily lives.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Very real concerns have been articulated regarding the use of AI. I made that point from the research in Deakin University. This week, at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence, I asked the witnesses from Research Ireland how this impacts at third level. They said they have specifically changed their assessment process to ensure AI is not being presented as a student's own work. There are fundamental questions about authenticity, validity and equity that have to be considered. I do not think they have been adequately considered in respect of artificial intelligence. I appreciate the point the Minister is making in that it is here and we have to figure out ways to deal with it. However, to the point that it can be presented as students' own work and that they may give a false impression that they have skills or knowledge they do not have, it is about the integrity of the leaving certificate. I feel, as do others, that given the consideration of those facts, we all surely have the ambition to ensure the integrity and the quality of the leaving certificate is maintained.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The significant body of work being done with the inclusion of the TUI, the ASTI and all the representative groups is to make sure we produce the best leaving certificate possible to support students in the best way. We are not introducing 100% additional assessment components. There will still be, for the vast majority, 60% of an exam, which is still stressful enough but obviously it is not 100%. Twenty-eight subjects already have additional assessment components, so we are already grappling with AI. It is here and we need to make sure we are working with it, that we are understanding it and that we do not prevent change from happening because we do not know what will happen this time next year.

As to the request for a pause for a year, the technology we might have this time next year has not even been created yet. That is how quickly technology is moving. We cannot pause change because we are not sure what is coming down the tracks, but we do have to acknowledge it is a challenge. It is new, it is different. We need to make sure students are prepared for it and that they are learning and not just using technology that is not helping them. If we take a step back and look at what we are preparing young people for, it is not just the world but also working life. Companies and businesses with new ways of doing business are saying technology is part and parcel. It is going to be there, so we need to work with students in that regard. I fully accept we need to support teachers in this 100% along the way. Work is under way to make sure we have even more guidance and support. As this is rolled out, the AI advisory council will really help in that regard.