Results 13,841-13,860 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: In terms of mental health and well-being, are there any proposals to incorporate well-being into the senior cycle as an integrated part of it? Could well-being assignments be incorporated into the final results so that it encourages students to engage fully? Since I became Chairman of this committee, we have dealt with the effects of Covid and bullying in school. I have listened to all of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Could Ms Tansey arrange for that leaflet to be sent to members of the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I would point to proof and evidence that is relayed to me a politician. I am not saying it comes down to the Department of Education. There is a great deal of joined-up thinking. I believe there are way too many organisations involved and the message gets lost. That is my opinion, not the opinion of the committee. Mental health is a big issue. It came through clearly in the other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Yes, go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I thank Senator Dolan. That concludes part one of the meeting. I want to put the officials in the Department of Education on notice that they will be asked to come back before the committee again. Owing to the weather conditions, four or five members have been unable to attend as they come from counties under red status. It was agreed last night that the meeting would proceed even though...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: She is. In fairness, she was very good and she complimented the Department. She said she did a report 30 years ago. I know there is an appetite for leaving certificate reform. We have learned a great deal about it in the last two years because of the Covid pandemic, which gave the Department, the Minister and everybody else the shot in the arm they needed to introduce some real reform of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Ryan Sharpe, a sixth-year student in the Cork Life Centre, Ms Amber Sheridan O'Callaghan, a past student of the centre, and Mr. Hugh Ahern, a student at the Patrician Academy, Mallow, County Cork. Mr. Ahern has appeared before the committee previously. The witnesses are here today to discuss leaving certificate reform with the committee. The format...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I thank Mr. Sharpe and Ms Sheridan O'Callaghan. I now invite Mr. Ahern to speak.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I thank Mr. Ahearn for that. Ms Sheridan O'Callaghan spoke about the stresses of the leaving certificate and how she has come through them. We have spoken about emotional counsellors in schools to help students. We spoke about this earlier with departmental officials. How would Ms Sheridan O'Callaghan flesh out the real stress of the leaving certificate? What was the biggest issue for her?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Mr. Sharpe is studying for the leaving certificate. I visited Cork Life Centre two weeks ago and therefore know exactly about the fantastic work being done there. What are the main stresses for Mr. Sharpe as he is preparing for his examinations? I said to Department officials this morning that I have fought five general elections. A general election is very stressful but I found the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I have been trying to draw a string out on the reform of teaching of some of the subjects with some of the witnesses who have come before the committee over the past while. Some people will agree with Mr. Ahern and more will not but I am a big believer in continuous assessment. I would like it to have been in place when I did my leaving certificate many years ago. Mr. Ahern was right when...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Absolutely. You have answered very well and skilfully. I am not sure if Senators O'Loughlin and Senator Dolan online. I call Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I will come in on what Ms Sheridan O'Callaghan said. She has come through the leaving certificate. Would she have preferred continuous assessment over two years compared to the written exam that she did? Does she believe she might have done better under continuous assessment or would it have put her under more stress in fifth and sixth years? What are her thoughts on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I apologise. We are having trouble with the connection to Senator Dolan, who is next on the list. Does the Deputy have any further questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: To follow on from that, Mr. Ahern mentioned apprenticeships. I would like to hear the views of Mr. Sharpe and Ms Sheridan O'Callaghan as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: To follow up with a question arising from Deputy Ó Snodaigh's contribution, Mr. Ahern spoke about apprenticeships earlier. Apprenticeships are going to be included in the CAO from this academic year. I have spoken before about how there is a great deal of peer pressure on many students regarding what college they are going to and how many points they got. That is the focus of the talk...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: No, go ahead. I ask Mr. Ahern to continue and to say what he is saying, because I agree with him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I agree with Mr. Ahern that we never see the photo of somebody heading off to do an apprenticeship. At the end of the day, depending on what trade they go into, they can make much more than the person who gets 300, 400 or 500 points. Apprenticeships can lead to fantastic careers. Some people who went into apprenticeships were extremely successful at starting their own businesses and are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: I have asked that committee members would get a copy of that leaflet from the Department of Education. I was not aware of it either. One of the issues that came up at the committee was that of emotional councillors being appointed to schools and whether that could be rolled out on a trial basis in some way. We will work with the Department of Education on that. I thank the witnesses for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment and the AGRIFISH Council Meeting: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Dec 2021)

Paul Kehoe: Chair, I have no bother if Deputy Mac Lochlainn would like to issue more questions again.