Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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321. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure consultation with stakeholders while rolling out Leaving Certificate reform. [30861/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We are living through a period of rapid change and it is essential that we equip children and young people with the skills and competencies they need to succeed and thrive in a changing world. That is a central purpose of Senior Cycle Redevelopment, which builds on Junior Cycle reform which started to roll out in 2014. Senior Cycle Redevelopment will also spread the assessment load on students by reducing the focus on a high stakes terminal examinations. The introduction of the first tranche of new and revised Leaving Certificate subjects will take place in September 2025 as previously announced.

The approach taken to the redevelopment of Senior Cycle has always been about collaboration and meaningful engagement with all our stakeholders since this process commenced in 2016.

From December 2024 until early April, my officials met with both post-primary teacher unions to discuss Senior Cycle Redevelopment. In April I invited the TUI and the ASTI to engage in intensive discussions with my Department to develop a package of supports which could assist schools, teachers and students during the roll out of the new Senior Cycle. I also had two engagements with the unions which included discussions on Senior Cycle, as well as attending their respective Convention and Congress at Easter. Following a further 6 meetings between Department officials and the unions, these talks concluded with the publication of a package of implementation supports in early May.

In parallel my officials have also engaged with representatives of school management bodies, whose voices also helped to inform the above discussions, as well as representatives of school leaders.

In addition, my officials regularly engage with student representatives, participating in several events hosted by the Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU), and with parent representatives, including appearing on the National Parents Council (NPC) podcast series to discuss Senior Cycle Redevelopment.

The Senior Cycle Redevelopment Partners’ Forum, chaired by former Chief Inspector Dr. Harold Hislop, a representative stakeholder engagement group which underpins the collaboration necessary to support the reforms, has met regularly since 2023. Membership includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, management bodies, and other relevant organisations.

This engagement builds on the consultative approach to the development of new and revised specifications, through the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in which stakeholders are centrally involved. Each of the NCCA’s post-primary subject development groups (SDGs) has two representatives from each union, as well as school management bodies and other subject experts. The NCCA also holds open and targeted consultations through which the views of stakeholders can inform subject development.

As part of recently announced Implementation Support Measures, developed following extensive engagement with teachers’ representatives, I have also committed to the establishment of various working groups on the implementation of the programme, the impact of AI, and workload in schools.

My Department is now engaging with the leadership of the TUI as it proceeds to implement the negotiated support measures. My officials have written to the TUI and I expect the first meeting of the newly established Post-Primary Implementation Group to take place next week. Teacher unions made a commitment to cooperating with Senior Cycle redevelopment in the Public Service Agreement which was agreed in early 2024. A similar commitment is contained in the education sectoral plan agreed in September 2024,

My Department and I look forward to continuing close collaboration with all our stakeholders in education including students, parents, teachers and school leaders. as we work together to strengthen and support Senior Cycle Redevelopment.