Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Daly mentioned the Harvard saying that if something is not being measured, it is not being done. As somebody who had the great privilege of attending Harvard as a student for a period, I know another great phrase is "bringing the best" from people in every sense. That sums up what the Minister is trying to achieve with this new framework for the junior certificate. I was in the last year to do the old inter certificate. At that time we felt somewhat cheated that this new junior certificate was to be introduced in the following year, solving all the problems. It did not do so and even with the best of schools, 10% of the population has a difficulty with literacy and numeracy. That is 10% too many in a country that prides itself on having one of the best education systems in the world. We may have had it at one time but the fact has been diminished.

One in every three pupils may have difficulties with literacy and numeracy in disadvantaged schools. That is a shameful statistic for any country in the modern world. I agree with much of Senator Daly's contribution and we are very fortunate to have a Minister who is totally committed to all elements in society. The worst aspect of our education system is a process of cramming in the last number of weeks before a set of exams, or the grind schools which have mushroomed over Ireland to cram the information into students for regurgitation. Unfortunately, the system has moved to third level institutions. When I was in college we had exams once a year during the summer but I am thankful that many of the colleges and universities now have continuous assessment. The University of Limerick was one of the first to embrace the notion of continuous assessment and is one of the most successful universities in terms of graduates gaining employment. Other universities are also moving in that direction.

This new framework is radical, like the Minister, and we should not be surprised. There will be continuous assessment and the parents will have a paramount responsibility, along with teachers and school management. Society will also be involved. With those elements playing a part, we will have a more holistic education system. We need an analytical education system, where a student can analyse and argue a point as opposed to regurgitating information. That is not learning.

That is not what our education system should be about. We should be equipping young people to be able to analyse life critically and whatever situation they are in. That is educating them for life.

I agree with previous speakers who said this framework needs to be extended to the leaving certificate. We cannot have a situation where one examination effectively dictates the career paths of young people. If they get the points, they may do something to which they are not suited. If they do not get the points, they will end up spending a year of their life repeating the leaving certificate to get into a course which may not suit them. Some universities have said this system is not working and have introduced alternative admissions policies. We need to reform the leaving certificate radically as well.

In a points driven examination situation, the people who suffer most are the vulnerable and those with disabilities who may not be able to compete in that type of pressure cooker environment. Their true talents and abilities would shine in a continuous assessment scenario. Continuous assessment is the way to go if it is done properly and if the proper structures are in place to ensure its credibility is beyond reproach. I believe that will be achieved. We are moving into a period in Irish education which will be exciting and challenging and which will restore our reputation as one of the best places in the world to learn.