Minister Helen McEntee announces National Convention on Education
- Published on: 24 July 2025
- Last updated on: 24 July 2025
- Education Convention will be the largest ever conversation on education since the foundation of the State
- Anne Looney Appointed as Chair of Convention
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee has today announced that she will establish a National Convention on Education, bringing together all stakeholders in education.
The establishment of a Convention delivers on a key commitment in the Programme for Government and will provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape Ireland’s education system for decades to come.
The Convention will focus mainly on primary and post-primary education but will include the transitions children make from early childhood education to primary and from post-primary to further and higher education. Its work will inform a new long-term strategy for education in Ireland. In addition, the various engagements will facilitate discussions on the learners’ experiences, including the experience of education in early childhood and primary and post primary education.
The Convention’s agenda will be approved by Government next year following a national conversation and consultation involving the public, early childhood education and school communities and other stakeholders (for example: children and youth; early learning and care providers, community; business and industry). This conversation will encompass comprehensive engagement with the public at school community and at regional level and will feed into the agenda for the convention.
The Minister has set out her ambition to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential, and the establishment of the Convention is a key part of delivering on this objective.
Minister McEntee said:
“Our education system has been the driving force of Ireland’s social and economic success, enabling our learners to go on to shape the vibrant, innovative, democratic society and economy we have today. For us to continue to thrive in a changing environment it is essential that our education system is set up to enable everyone to realise their potential.
“The last National Education Convention happened in 1993 and resulted in a number of significant reforms and developments. As we face new challenges and opportunities in today’s world, it is vital that as many voices as possible are heard and have the chance to help shape a world-class education system that breaks down barriers and supports every child and young person to thrive.
"We have achieved considerable academic success, in particular in relation to reading where we are ranked as the best in the world. I want to ensure that we can deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. In particular, supporting children with special educational needs, tackling educational disadvantage, reducing unacceptably high levels of absenteeism, supporting our teachers and school communities, and reforming our curriculum is central to delivering this vision.
“This is why I am determined that people will have their say, their way, as part of the largest conversation on education since the foundation of the State. We are proud of our education system. We can see excellence in how our students perform in international rankings. In PISA, Irish students are the best in the EU at reading and are significantly above the OECD average in maths and science. This is a testament to the quality of our teachers. However, we cannot rely on previous success in a world which is rapidly changing. We must equip children with the skills and competencies necessary for them to succeed and thrive.
“This is why I am delighted to announce that this Convention on Education will commence later this year. It will be a truly inclusive process engaging with children, young people and their parents, school communities, education stakeholders, along with other stakeholders from within and outside the education system. All of the views gathered will be of great value in helping to inform and shape education policy now and into the future.
“I am pleased also to announce that Professor Anne Looney will be the independent Chair of the Convention. Anne has demonstrated her commitment to education working in a variety of roles across the education system, spanning from early years to further and higher education. We are privileged to have such an experienced professional to lead this Convention.”
Professor Anne Looney said:
“I am delighted to take up the position of Chair of the Convention and look forward to the opportunity to work, with others, to set the direction and vision for education in Ireland into the future and develop an ambitious programme of work that ensures we give our learners and those who work with them the best opportunities to flourish and succeed.”
Notes
Structure and next steps
The Convention on Education will be chaired by an independent Chair, supported by four Deputy Chairs representing:
- children and young people
- parents and guardians
- school staff and early years educators and practitioners
- education and wider stakeholders (including advocacy groups, business and the arts)
An Inter-Departmental group (comprising the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, and the Department Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science) will be established and chaired by the Department of Education and Youth.
An introductory meeting of the Convention is planned in the next academic year, with further sessions to run during 2026 and a final report to be submitted to the Minister.
The Convention’s agenda will be approved by Government and will be informed by a national conversation including the public, early childhood education and school communities and other stakeholders (for example: children and youth; early learning and care providers, community; business and industry).
The findings of the Convention, informed by both the national conversation and the plenary sessions, will feed primarily into a Department of Education and Youth education strategy which will set out a shared vision for the future of education which will then be implemented over the following years.
Biography of Anne Looney
Professor Anne Looney is the Executive Dean of Dublin City University’s Institute of Education.
From Dublin, she worked as post-primary teacher for fourteen years before joining the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in 1997 where she became the CEO in 2001, a post she held until 2016. She held the position of Interim CEO at the Higher Education Authority before joining DCU in 2017. Professor Looney will be stepping down from her role of Executive Dean at the end of September.
She completed her doctoral studies in education at the Institute of Education in London. Her research interests include assessment policy and practice, curriculum, teacher identity and professional standards for teachers and teaching. She has also published on religious, moral and civic education, and education policy. She has been a team member for reviews for the OECD on school quality, curriculum, and assessment systems, and acts as a technical expert for the European Commission on projects in initial teacher education. She is the current president of the International Professional Development Association.
In 2001 she was the first woman to be nominated to the management committee of the GAA and served until 2024.