Results 3,461-3,480 of 9,147 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: One of the questions I raised in the past week with Mr. Crone’s colleagues was whether a higher percentage of girls were doing STEM subjects in coeducational schools than in single-sex girls’ schools. I do not know the answer. Do we have any data on that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Sometimes in Ireland, we opt for over-correction. We have had issues where we do not have enough focus and commitment to STEM. Is Mr. Crone concerned in any way that by refocusing significantly on STEM, we are undermining the importance of the humanities? In fairness to Mr. Crone, I believe he said in his statement that these subjects are obviously complementary. Are the humanities also...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: What is that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Is Mr. Crone satisfied that the commitment to humanities in secondary schools remains strong, even in those schools that are trying to refocus on STEM.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I note what Mr Crone said about junior cycle reform and the need for senior cycle reform. Do I take from what he has said that he believes continuous assessment of STEM subjects is a preferable way of assessing a student?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Does the responsibility lie with individual schools to try to build a link with individual tech companies or should it be done more centrally?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I agree with Mr. Crone. I thank him and I have no further questions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome all the hard work the witnesses put into their opening statements. I know I speak on behalf of the Cathaoirleach and the rest of the committee when I say they are very helpful to us in deliberating on our work. I have a few questions for Mr. Jones. There is a serious issue in third-level education with precarity in academic careers. I think we discussed that previously. It is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: For the purpose of ensuring that STEM in Ireland is promoted and developed as much as we want it to be, we must ensure that the best people remain in third-level education and excel there. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Are many of them going into second-level education because of precarity?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: So many of them are being lost to the education system completely. It is not the case that because they cannot get careers in third-level education, they are going into second-level education. Many of them are just moving out of education.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: Another major issue the committee wants to look at is trying to ensure more women study STEM in secondary school and third-level education. In his statement, Mr. Jones said that 41% of those graduating with a PhD in science, mathematics and computing are women. I was quite surprised by this as I did not think it would be quite as high. Obviously, the figure should be higher. My concern...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I suppose the argument that women are not interested in STEM seems to be completely disputed by the fact that 41% of people with PhDs in science, mathematics and computing are women. Unfortunately, when it gets to higher-level professorial level, that is not being reflected.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: I have a few questions for Ms Ní Chéileachair regarding her statement on behalf of the INTO. When someone is teaching primary school students, it is different from teaching secondary school and third-level students. One point she made was that many teachers believe there should be more time devoted to teaching just mathematics as opposed to getting caught up in other science subjects.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: That is a reflection of primary schools' understanding of the importance of mathematics for children going through the system. Is there any issue with the quality of teaching of mathematics? Sometimes the committee can be concerned about the quality of teaching of Irish to primary school teachers. Is there any concern or is Ms Ní Chéileachair satisfied that people-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (7 Mar 2023)
Jim O'Callaghan: In terms of the ASTI, Ms Leydon gave some very interesting statistics. She said that 94% of boys' schools provide biology, chemistry and physics but only 82% of girls' schools do. Is that because, traditionally, girls' schools did not offer these subjects? Why has that not caught up yet, in Ms Leydon's opinion?