Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I second the motion. Thomas Jefferson, when speaking as President of the United States, stated that "If [one] expects [people] to be ignorant and free ... [one] expects what never was and never will be." This was true in his time and remains true today. While his remarks were made in the context of remaining free from foreign domination, education is still the key to freedom. It constitutes the freedom to achieve a better future for individuals, families, communities and the nation. Many people mistakenly consider education to be the key to continued economic prosperity. While this is the case, it is far more than that. Although it brings economic success, the education system, be it preschool, primary, secondary or third level, education towards a knowledge-based economy or towards lifelong learning, is not simply for the creation of workers and improvements in the gross national product. It also pertains to creating better and active citizens who will contribute to a better community.

Education will be improved beyond all recognition through social partnership as outlined in the Towards 2016 document. The education system that obtained in Ireland in 1916, which was rightly described as "the murder machine" by Patrick Pearse, will be gone forever. I commend the Government on its introduction of the civic, social and political education, CSPE, programme. While this programme is not perfect, it is a step towards creating a generation of more rounded students and a system based not just on points or results achieved in examinations. The implementation of the national skills strategy is a vital part of our future. If it has not been implemented by 2020, we will have a continued shortage of third level degree holders, a deficit of 139,000 third level certificate and ordinary degree holders and a surplus of lower educational levels with a large number of low-skilled individuals who will be underemployed or inactive. Globalisation requires a flexible workforce. Ireland is a small, open economy, and we must be able to respond to changes in the world economy and the technological environment. Only a well educated population is able to respond in this way.

The objectives as set out in the national skills strategy, the National Development Plan 2007-2013, the national action plan for social inclusion and the social partnership document, Towards 2016, will result in improved education and training and will also yield a social dividend, with better social cohesion and public health and reduced poverty, crime and social welfare dependency. I commend the motion to the House.