Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2017
42. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider a continuous assessment element of all leaving certificate exam subjects as part of the leaving certificate reform; and his plans to consider introducing a life-skills class alongside the new syllabus subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51803/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy question relates to the current reform of the leaving certificate syllabus and if the Minister will consider a continuous assessment element for all leaving certificate exam subjects, and look at the possibility of introducing a life skills class alongside the new syllabus subjects.
A review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways is a key action in my Department’s Action Plan for Education 2016-19. This review has been commenced by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA with a view to recommending areas for development. The senior cycle review will consider all assessment approaches. Specifically, it will consider if the range of assessment approaches is most appropriate to meet the purposes of senior cycle education and the wide range of needs of students at senior cycle. In this context, assessment approaches adopted must be diverse and fit-for-purpose.
All specifications for leaving certificate subjects and courses developed in recent years identify the development of students who are confident, engaged, resourceful and active learners as a priority. All specifications identify five key skills: information processing; communicating; being personally effective; working with others; and critical and creative thinking. These key skills are embedded in the learning outcomes of each subject and in the learning activity that are used to realise those outcomes. In recent years there has been a strong convergence in the views of business and educationalists as to the skills that are most important for young people at this time, with both sectors agreeing that generic skills of the kind above should be prioritised.
I am committed to student well-being and life skills, and my Department will shortly publish a policy statement on well-being. This policy statement will set out key elements and actions considered necessary to achieve an improved well-being experience in schools.
I have raised this issue because I believe that the current system is very unfair and inequitable. It is designed to be one size fits all. This is not the reality in the context of learning and education. Many Deputies will remember with dread the leaving certificate exam and the whole process around it. If we are considering reform of the leaving certificate programme we have an opportunity to make it real and meaningful. Continuous assessment is a common sense and practical aspect that could be introduced, alongside a life skills class with lessons in basic nutrition and mental health. These are basic skills that many people leave school not knowing how to do. It would be invaluable for students.
I wish to emphasise the whole area of continuous assessment. It is so unfair at the moment. A person studies for six years in second level school and then everything is based on a two week exam. If a student is having some difficulty or panics during exams, or if a student is sick for those two weeks, it can affect everything and there is no opportunity to repeat the leaving certificate later that summer. The student must wait a whole year and then go back though the whole system again. It is currently not fit for purpose and if we are talking about reform then we should make it real and meaningful.
I believe the Deputy will agree that the roll-out of the junior cycle has been significant nick in the post in that we now ask students to put together a portfolio of achievement and do their exam. This process is not yet embedded at junior cycle. We are only two thirds of the way through and there are still subjects to come on board next year.
The NCCA is looking at the senior cycle in the context and its clear assessment is a core issue. Of course, one must balance, and they will have to consult. A lot of people have faith in the objectivity and fairness of the leaving certificate but as the Deputy correctly states, it does not suit everyone. We must value a wider range of experiences in school. Hopefully, we are on a journey that will see the sort of vision that the Deputy has develop over time.
