Citizens' Assembly

Thursday, 29 June 2023

Questions (139)

Gary Gannon

Question:

139. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education for an update on the Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education, which was outlined in the Programme for Government. [31571/23]

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Written answers

The Programme for Government commits to establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education ensuring that the voices of young people and those being educated are central.The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use is currently underway and is scheduled to complete its work by the end of 2023.The establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education and its Terms of Reference will be the subject of a Government decision and resolutions of the Dáil and Seanad at the appropriate time. Citizens’ Assemblies operate independently of the Government with secretariat support provided by the Department of the Taoiseach.

My published Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 sets out the framework for the Department’s work for this period, including advancing education commitments in the Programme for Government. In this regard, it specifically mentions exploring the scope for a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education and my officials are working on this, including the development of a consultation proposal. This work includes liaison with the Department of the Taoiseach and ongoing discussion with key stakeholders across school communities.

The commitment in the Programme for Government also states that the voices of young people and those being educated are central to this Assembly. The impact that children and young people have on shaping their own learning experiences is a focus of the work of my Department. Through this process we will work with children and young people to support the inclusion of their voices in the Assembly’s deliberations, as well as through any consultation process that I may establish. We will also continue to listen carefully to the views of parents, teachers, school leaders and all those in school communities who help shape our education system.