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Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to resume its examination of Leaving Certificate Reform

29 Nov 2021, 17:00

The Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will resume its examination of Leaving Certificate Reform with a roundtable discussion on Reform at its meeting on Tuesday, November 30.

The meeting will be broadcast from Committee Room 2 at 11 am. 

Representatives from the following organisations will be in attendance:

·        Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)

·        Irish Business and Economic Confederation (IBEC)

·        Irish Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME)

·        Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)

·        Expert Group on Skills

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach, Deputy Paul Kehoe said: “The Committee will discuss leaving certificate reform with representatives from business groups and research.”

The Cathaoirleach added: “The meeting is an important one as it seeks the views and insights of organisations representing business, science and skills.”

“The world of work is rapidly changing and it is important that the Leaving Certificate prepares young people for it and equips them with the necessary skills. An education system that prioritises communication skills, digital literacy and problem solving can help to future proof our final exam for school leavers.

“The Leaving Certificate needs to be responsive to current and future labour market trends and broadened to open up students to the widest range of career opportunities and further education pathways.”

“Digital and online learning at home and in the classroom is here to stay but we must bridge the digital divide to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to gain the skills that are needed to fully engage in an increasingly digitalised society.”

“Young people and representatives who have previously addressed the Committee told us that the Leaving Cert does not prepare them for the leap to third level or the world of work. The pandemic has shown us that flexibility, resilience and continuous learning must be ingrained in our young people in order to prepare them for life.”

“We look forward to hearing insights from the representatives and having a wider conversation with the stakeholders.” 

The Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad. 

You can view the meeting in Committee Room 2 on the Oireachtas website. 

Media enquiries

Áine McMahon
Houses of the Oireachtas
Communications Unit
Leinster House
Dublin 2

+353 (0) 1 618 3437
+353 (0) 85 800 7312

aine.mcmahon@oireachtas.ie
pressoffice@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @OireachtasNews

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