Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. I agree with what Senator Ruane has said. We should be ambitious in these Houses, in this country and in the Department of Education. We should make this the best little country in the world in which to be a young person and a student and to provide those opportunities. From the Minister’s own experience as a teacher and as a Minister, she can achieve that ambition.

Speaking to Senator Ruane’s point I have no doubt that if one looks at the Minister’s record to date, that she can become a Donogh O’Malley or a Patrick Hillery and I believe she has that ambition. In this House there is a real passion for education on a cross-party basis and we will support her in that.

A number of colleagues have mentioned how the Minister has been so committed to the process of consultation. I praise all of the stakeholders in education who have been involved. I praise in particular those in the Irish Second-Level Students Union, including Reuban Murray, Alicia O’Sullivan, Luke Casserly and all of those nationwide who got involved and engaged constructively with Deputies and Senators.

During my own political involvement as a student, I lobbied in order that the Education Act would include statutory recognition of student councils. Now is the time to also look at how we can strengthen that. Student councils vary from school to school in how effectively they perform. In reviewing of the Education Act, I ask the Minister that we look at ways of strengthening that.

Along with colleagues, having seen the level of maturity that has been shown, I ask the Minister to support the principle of allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote, at least at the local and European elections in 2024. I ask the Minister that she might indicate her views on that.

Referring specifically to the legislation, the crucial question we need to tease out is on section 2 and the process of standardisation. I am glad that school profiles are excluded and I am aware that the Minister was firm on that point. We must stick with that position. We will need to examine in more detail the audit of the standardisation process, which I welcome. The use of any algorithm needs to be explained clearly and must be understood by the wider education community. As part of this process, which is not just about the legislation and the audit of the algorithm, we need to explain how the standardisation process operates.

I am aware that others have already spoken about the homeschooling situation. I refer to students who have been enrolled in schools over the past two years but who, for particular Covid-19-related reasons, have been absent from school. Either they themselves are vulnerable or a member of their family is vulnerable but it means they have not had much class contact time in school itself, which raises the issue of how they will be assessed by their teachers. Some assurance on that point is needed.

Some lessons have been learned from the past year. We saw grade inflation last year where the average leaving certificate results increased by approximately 4.4%. That caused a difficulty for the students of the leaving certificate class of 2019. There still needs to be some answers for those in that 2019 class and I would be concerned were we to see grade inflation again this year. We need to get some explanation in this regard in the standardisation process.

Others have referred to those who are in fifth year and who have missed much of their time in school. They have not been able to sit a junior certificate examination and the question of what supports will be put in place there has been raised. I welcome the provision of additional higher and further education places.

On the question of reform, the leaving certificate model has existed in the same essential way since 1925 with minimal changes since then by way of assessment. Reform is important. I held a webinar that involved the then national secretary of the ISSU, Matthew Colgan, who suggested that as part of curriculum reform, we should look at issues around taxation because it is something that is never discovered until one starts working part-time. That debate is crucial and it should involve as many people as possible. It should be a national conversation about what we learn and assess.

Finally, I appreciate that this Bill concerns an examination and an accredited grades process. The choice has been really good and the Minister is responding to young people.However, young people have lost out on so much over this period. We need a new deal. Consider those who are facing the leaving certificate this year. They have lost out on their leaving certificate year and are losing out on all the end-of-year celebrations. It was the same for students last year. They lost out on their first year in college, the debs, graduation and the chance to go to a nightclub. I am sure the Minister thinks of her students who did not get to go to nightclubs in Tralee. We must have a new deal for young people. There must be leaving certificate reform. I am confident the Minister will deliver on that.