Thomas Byrne
Question:150. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he accepts the findings of a recent report by the OECD (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7227/20]
View answerWednesday, 27 May 2020
Questions (150)
Written answers
PISA aims to measure how well students, at age, 15, are prepared to meet the challenges they may encounter in future life, including education. In PISA 2018, 5,577 Irish students completed the assessment in Ireland. In addition to the 3 the tests of reading literacy, mathematics and science, questionnaires administered in Ireland included:
- the core student questionnaire
- optional short questionnaire for students on ICT
The information in the report referred to by the Deputy stems from responses from both students and teachers across the OECD countries to the optional short questionnaire on ICT for students. My Department notes and accepts the data in that context. There are no specific findings in the text accompanying the tables from the PISA survey relating to Ireland. The report concludes:
“In this moment of crisis, digital technology holds great promise to provide learners with access to high quality learning. However, most education systems need to pay close attention to ensure that technology does not amplify existing inequalities in access and quality of learning further. This is not only a matter of providing access to technology and open learning resources, but will also require maintaining effective social relationships between families, teachers and students, particularly for those students who lack the resilience, learning strategies or engagement to learn on their own. Technology can amplify the work of great teachers, but it will not replace them.”
As the Deputy will be aware, the Digital Strategy for Schools outlines my Department's vision to realise the potential of digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning and assessment so that Ireland's young people become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens to participate fully in society and the economy. A central theme of the Strategy is Teacher Professional Development, and a Digital Learning Framework, supported by an extensive programme of CPD, is now available. This Framework will enable teachers and schools to progress in their usage of digital technologies depending on their own circumstances and to identify their particular support requirements. My Department recognises that the embedding of digital technologies can enhance teaching and learning, through appropriate supports grounded in informed pedagogical best practice.
From the outset of school closure,s required under Covid-19 measures, schools and teachers were advised of the requirement to effectively engage with parents and learners to ensure continuity of teaching and learning for all their students. To enable this, extensive support material on distance learning has been made available through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), including the delivery of Webinars on relevant topics. My Department has published guidance for schools and teachers, to support remote learning and the continuity of teaching and learning for all students including students with special education needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage. Guidance has also been published for parents and is available on my Departments website in 12 languages. Schools are advised to ensure that in their approach to providing for the continuity of learning due consideration is given to put in place alternative arrangements where solutions involving digital technology may not be appropriate or available, to the learner. Key to this guidance is the requirement for ongoing engagement between schools, teachers, parents and learners.
€50m ICT grant funding has now issued to schools, and this can be used by schools to prioritise requirements arising out of the Covid-19 school closures, to support remote learning. This can include arrangements to loan school computing devices to teachers and learners who experience difficulties in accessing appropriate devices as well as putting in place appropriate learning platforms to deliver remote learning.
My Department continues to engage with stakeholders including management bodies, teacher representatives, parent and students representatives during the current period of school closures to provide supports to enable the continuation of teaching and learning.