Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)

I had the pleasure last night in Sligo of listening to young people who are on the cusp of leaving school, at a public speaking competition I organised. Some of them described the concept of sitting for ten hours a day every day cramming in order to secure a third level place. They also raised the prospect of studying philosophy in primary school. Above all, what these young people - Katie Lee, Eden Estevez, Thomas Edersby, Ronan Marron and Paul McDonagh Ford - want is to be taught how to think and not simply what to think. I ask the Leader to appeal to the Minister to listen to young people themselves, who say their school experience is effectively one of cramming lessons.

That is not to criticise everything they do or to criticise all teachers, but young people want to be part of the debate on education. They want to participate in the debate on a new Ireland and they want to be listened to. The best way to achieve that is for the Minister for Education and Skills to listen directly to them. I ask that he take time to consider how to do so as he looks to reform the education system in the coming years.