Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise the issue of the ESRI report relating to examinations and the experience of junior certificate students. This recent publication explored the experience of junior certificate students and highlighted what schools can do to enhance student learning and engagement with schools. Would it be appropriate to ask the Minister for Education and Science to attend the House to debate this? It is important to examine the ideas contained in a survey of 900 students, although it should have been broader. Issues highlighted include the dominance of the State examinations, the streaming of students, interaction between teachers and students, and whether we should have a vocational and academic, as opposed to a vocational or academic, approach to education. Those are interesting topics and they are linked to the Private Members' business motion this evening which deals with lifelong learning. The earlier we start, the more success we will achieve. This survey is timely and would result in an interesting debate.