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State Examinations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021

Thursday, 13 May 2021

Questions (69)

Denis Naughten

Question:

69. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to specifically support the leaving certificate class of 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23966/21]

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Oral answers (6 contributions)

Students who sit their exams in June of next year will have missed out on a considerable amount of class time due to the lockdown restrictions. They will be the first leaving certificate class to sit a State examination without ever having completed one before. These two factors, along with the potential threat of further restrictions, in addition to the mental health challenges every pupil has faced, place additional stresses on this cohort of students.

I appreciate the Deputy raising this question on the floor of the House. The Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. From 11 January 2021, all students, including those currently in fifth year and who are due to sit the leaving certificate examinations in 2022, engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools. However, students in fifth year were prioritised for a return to school following the return of sixth year students.

As the Deputy is aware, all students have now returned to school.

The public health restrictions which resulted in the closure of schools in March 2020 highlighted the absolute necessity for schools to be agile in providing for continuity of schooling in the future. As a contingency measure against the possibility of partial or full school closures, the Department of Education provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to mediate the curriculum safely for all pupils and students in a Covid-19 context.

The nature of distance learning, which was necessitated during the unprecedented closure of schools last year and early this year, required educators to take on a range of approaches to support their pupils' continuity of learning during those periods. Assisted by Department-funded resources and supports, schools and teachers demonstrated significant innovation in adapting to the unprecedented situation, including the use of digital technologies and online learning platforms for teaching and learning.

A number of adjustments have been made to the assessment arrangements for the 2021 leaving certificate examinations to take account of the disruption to learning experienced by the students who are due to take these examinations this year. I am particularly conscious that current fifth year students have also experienced some disruption to their learning and this will be considered in determining the assessment arrangements for the State examinations in 2022.

I thank the Minister. The point I want to make is that this cohort of fifth year students, who will sit the exams next year, is unique in that they have never sat a State exam before. They have not had the experience or the pressure involved in a State exam before because they did not sit their junior certificate examinations. These students need additional supports over the coming year. I bring to the Minister's attention that there has been a 58% increase in the number of children presenting to our emergency departments in the last three months of 2020, with anxiety, suicidal ideation and self-harm. Every single young person in this country has experienced additional anxiety as a result of Covid-19. This is a challenge to deal with across our education system. We do not need to put additional anxiety on this cohort of fifth year students in coping with a State examination.

I reiterate that I am conscious of the particular difficulties and stresses for students throughout the Covid pandemic. In the context of the well-being of and supports for students, I acknowledge that schools and everybody involved in the school community have very much taken a well-being approach to supporting, mentoring, catering to and encouraging students with regard to school. We are all conscious of issues. Much of the advice about well-being issues, as the Deputy pointed out, has been highlighted by NEPS, as I alluded to earlier.

On the current cohort of fifth years who will be leaving certificate students next year, I want to be clear. As I have said previously, that suitable accommodations for assessment were made for the leaving certificate class of 2021 and consideration is being given to what supports can be put in place for the affected students in 2022.

I acknowledge what the Minister is saying but it is important that we also acknowledge that next year's leaving certificate class, this year's fifth year class, finds itself in unique circumstances. Additional supports need to be provided. In general, we need to put additional supports and new approaches in place to deal with and prevent the growing mental health issues that we have among our students at primary and post-primary level. The results from the Growing Up in Ireland study that was carried out prior to the pandemic show that students having a higher depressive score at the age of 13 is associated with a greater chance of a diagnosis of depression at 17 or 18 years of age and a greater likelihood of self-harm. It is important that in the wider school population, especially at second level, that we have a proactive, innovative approach across all of our students to support them from a mental health perspective.

I reiterate the particular interest that I have, as has the Deputy, in the well-being of students and, beyond that, for the entire school community. It is important to consider that the experience of Covid-19 has created challenges for us all, so I include the wider school community when considering the need to provide resources and support for well-being. As the Deputy has referenced the cohort of students who will take the leaving certificate examinations next year, I want to be clear that even in the budget in October, I was conscious of the need for supports and making additional school counsellors available. I was pleased that more than 100 additional posts for guidance counsellors were provided in our schools. I referred earlier to the provision of a substantial number of additional NEPS psychologists. NEPS has been working with schools to roll out specific programmes that identify, promote and enhance the existing well-being structures in our schools.

Question No. 70 replied to with Written Answers.
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