Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus guím gach rath uirthi agus a dualgas mór tábhachtach á chomhlíonadh aici.

The Minister is very welcome. I listened very carefully to her speech. Naturally enough, at the moment most people will be focused on the plan to reopen schools, which is extremely welcome. Education is a very important and challenging brief at any time. Everybody recognises the particular importance and sensitivity of the work before the Minister now because of Covid-19. We recognise the vital importance of getting students back to school and of ensuring systems of education, examination and college application in which people can have confidence, that are fair to all and that prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society.

I was listening carefully to the Minister's speech.When she spoke about the need for intensive engagement with stakeholders from the education sector, she rightly mentioned teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, school caretakers, school management bodies and so on. I noticed there was no mention of patrons or trustees. I sometimes think that the important and indeed legislatively defined role of patrons and trustees is left out or dealt with under the general heading of school management. That may just be an oversight in this case, or perhaps the category of school management is intended to include patrons and trustees. I wish to draw that to the Minister's attention. I certainly hope there was consultation with patrons and trustees.

I also have a couple of other questions. I apologise if some of this ground has already been covered by the Minister or by other speakers. The Minister mentioned the €375 million in funding for the roadmap. Does that include the €75 million provided as part of the July stimulus package to support minor capital works? My apologies if that is a question to which everybody else here knows the answer, but I thought it appropriate to ask. It certainly occurred to me while I was listening to the Minister.

I particularly welcome the funding to provide release days for teaching principals. The pressure on teaching principals, as opposed to walking principals, is acute. The need for greater assistance in this area has been a source of discontent and concern among teaching principals. I welcome this measure and many other provisions the Minister has spoken about today.

It is understandable that many teachers are concerned by their potential exposure to the coronavirus. However, there may be a danger of that threat occasionally being overstated in the media and elsewhere. Great strides have been made to minimise its spread. I noted that Professor Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist who is a member of the UK Government's scientific advisory group for emergencies, has said that there has yet to be a single confirmed case of a teacher catching Covid-19 from a pupil anywhere in the world. I hope that is true and that it continues to be true. It is to be hoped that will give comfort to teachers ahead of the reopening of schools, even as we take all of the necessary precautions.

Regarding the cancellation or postponement of the leaving certificate and the issue of calculated grades, it is important to note that the system broke this year because of its inflexibility. Of course we need an objective system of assessment for students. However, there was huge and widespread concern about the pressure that system put on people before Covid-19 came along. Now is the time to look at how the problems that already beset system can be fixed. We need to look at the possibility of students doing part of their leaving certificate examination at the end of fifth year and perhaps in several stages during sixth year. We need to look at the possibility of awarding more grades for parts of courses at school. In another context, we spend a lot of time talking about the mental health challenges younger people face. It is important to acknowledge that our system is a tremendous cause of stress. Stress is a part of life and we must all encourage resilience, but where a system imposes stress unnecessarily, we must examine it.

An approach to life, public policy and law based on human dignity requires us to take a hard look at the leaving certificate system. Should students be competing for such high stakes over that particular period just because it is required by a small number of college courses that demand a lot of points? That is an issue to which we will have to return. I could say more but I do not have time to say it now. I wish the Minister the very best. Let us all hope that this system works and that people have confidence in our education system. That system is crucial, not only to the well-being of the people going through it but to the success of our economy, our competitiveness and our ability to thrive as a nation.