John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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345. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills is she aware of a spike in reported stress issues for post-primary school children, in terms of examination anxiety and so on; the way in which this is being addressed and the plans she has; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65189/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Department acknowledges that the months leading up to, and during the State Certificate examinations, can be a difficult time for students. My department is addressing these stresses both through the curriculum as well as the enhanced wellbeing supports available in our post-primary schools.

Through the curriculum the Deputy will be aware Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) are a component of assessment introduced under the Junior Cycle Framework (2015). They are designed to spread assessment activity over the second and third years of Junior Cycle to increase the interest, engagement and motivation of students and to reduce the emphasis on a final examination that ‘counts for everything’. They are meant to reflect what students would be learning and doing in everyday classrooms – speaking in languages, investigating in science, doing project work in business, producing artefacts in practical subjects etc. They are designed to be closely associated with, and to mirror, everyday normal classroom learning and assessment activity, even if they take place over particular timeframes.

Efforts have been made to prevent overassessment and to reduce workload. Schools are advised of the need to consider the cumulative burden on students and teachers of multiple assessments across the full range of subjects. For example, as laid out in the most recent Junior Cycle implementation circular, CL 28/2023, schools are advised that CBAs will substitute for other assessments currently undertaken in the school such as in-house examinations. This can be accessed online at assets.gov.ie/static/documents/5f9befcf-00282023-.pdf. Further reading for this can be found in the accompanying Information Note TC 0004/2025, published in May for the 2025/2026 school year, which can be viewed on assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Junior_Cycle_Information_Note_May_2025.pdf. The Department has also issued advice to schools to assist them in the scheduling of CBAs: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/advice-in-relation-to-scheduling-of-classroom-based-assessments-in-junior-cycle.pdf. This document provides guidance in areas such as linking CBAs to ongoing assessment and routine classroom practice, and how to avoid over assessment

My Department is continuing to implement an ambitious programme of Senior Cycle Redevelopment that delivers “equity and excellence for all”.

Under the Redevelopment programme, the specifications for all current Leaving Certificate curricular subjects are scheduled to be redeveloped by 2029.

Each new and revised Leaving Certificate subject will incorporate an Additional Assessment Component (AAC) worth at least 40% of the overall available marks. These will be externally assessed by the State Examinations Commission.

The introduction of additional assessment components other than traditional examinations in each subject will enable the assessment load experienced by Senior Cycle students to be spread more evenly, with a reduced emphasis on the final examinations in June of Sixth Year.

This will contribute to alleviating one of the key sources of stress cited by students and parents in their Senior Cycle experience.

9 new and revised specifications were introduced into the national curriculum in September, with current fifth years studying these subjects in classrooms today.

Additionally, The Department of Education and Youth’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice, published since 2018. The approach is founded on research and best international practice of how schools can best support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. The approach is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include:

- Providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies

- Providing children and young people with opportunities to experience supportive relationships within the school setting and to learn through those relationships

- Providing children and young people with opportunities to be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe

- Schools are encouraged to develop policies that create an environment in which children and young people feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, in which they feel their voice is heard, and they feel supported.

- Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs.

Policy implementation responsibility is coordinated by the Department’s Wellbeing Office which is situated within the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

A dedicated wellbeing portal can be accessed via ‘Wellbeing in Education’ on gov.ie bringing together all the wellbeing and mental health supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support services. There is a dedicated page on the portal where students, parents and school staff can access wellbeing advice related to exam stress www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/wellbeing-support-for-exam-students-parents-and-school-staff/.

The Department of Education National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides a school-based, consultative, psychological service through the provision of an individual casework service for students and a support and development service for school staff. The NEPS Support and Development service for school staff helps them build their capability to respond to the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional needs of all students, and particularly those who are experiencing barriers to their wellbeing, learning, inclusion and participation.

At post primary level, a Student Support Team is a student-focused mechanism put in place by a school in order to co-ordinate the support available for students in the school and to facilitate links to the community and other non-school support services. NEPS provides support to post primary schools in the setting up or review of Student Support Teams.

Also at post primary level, counselling is a key part of the role of the Guidance Counsellor, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis but also at key transition points.

Neart – the Irish word for strength - is a first of its kind collaboration, being delivered in a partnership model between NEPS and Jigsaw - The National Centre for Youth Mental Health that runs until the end of the 2026-2027 academic year designed to complement with additional supports existing systems and structures for wellbeing and mental health in post-primary schools. Information is available at jigsaw.ie/neart/.

The Department of Health leads on mental health policy in Ireland. They have responsibility for the provision of counselling services in Ireland, and through HSE Primary Care Psychology and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provides clinical support to children and young people with mental health needs. In addition, the HSE and its funded providers, provide e-mental health services that offer online text and telephone supports to people seeking mental health information and advice.

These include services provided by the Samaritans, Pieta House, MyMind, Turn2Me, Aware, Crisis Text Ireland, Shine, BeLongTo, LGBT Ireland, Jigsaw, Spunout, Bodywhys and Childline.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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346. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for a survey on parents of post-primary school students in view of the survey of primary school parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65190/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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On 4 November, my department announced the launch of an online, school-specific survey of parents and guardians, and primary school communities in line with the department’s Education Plan 2025 which commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education.

The survey is for:

• Parents and guardians of children who have not yet started primary school
• Parents and guardians of children currently attending primary school
• Primary school staff and Board of Management members.