Leaving Certificate reform – Minister Harris' address to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

Delivered 2 November 2021. Check against delivery.

I’d like to thank the committee for inviting me here today to contribute to this important debate on Leaving Certificate reform, with particular focus on further and higher education requirements, vocational options and career paths.

COVID-19 has caused huge disruption for the education system but it has created significant opportunities too. It has provided us with the chance to change, reform, to do better.

I believe that any reform of the Leaving Certificate process must be considered in the context of broader Senior Cycle reform- we must consider the programme, subjects, skills and objectives in the round, not just the terminal exam.

Does the Senior Cycle prepare all students equally well for pursuing their future paths, be they academic or vocational? Does the Leaving Cert capture a person’s capabilities?

Do the Leaving Cert and the points system hinder a person’s potential or help them? There has never been a better time to have this conversation.

It is really important that when we talk about Leaving Cert reform, we don’t just have half a conversation. It’s not just a conversation about the exam process, though that is important, but it also must be a conversation about what happens after the exam.

How do we move beyond a narrow view of options post school? How do we move beyond the points’ race and all the stress and worry of that for students and their families, and create additional and alternative pathways to further and higher education.

That’s where my energy is going to be – making sure school leavers have as many ways as possible to progress to where they want to in terms of careers.

The current system does not prepare a student for life beyond education. It does not teach students about financial literacy, digital skills, sex education, or climate skills. We know that some schools are passionate about education in the round but this is not universal across our country’s schools. I believe it should be as such skills would help our students transition to the third level system or employment.

We need a fair and consistent assessment system that can give students feedback and a clear understanding of their strengths and talents so they can make reliable choices.

We need to increase the transition rates from DEIS schools to higher education – in 2018 while the overall transition rate was 63%, this varied from 40% in DEIS schools to 69% in non-DEIS schools.

All of us involved in the education sector should strive to ensure that Ireland has an education system that can adapt to a rapidly changing world and supports people in developing their talents and reaching their full potential.

The third-level education system exists to allow learners to develop and specialise their knowledge, skills and competence. Ireland’s future sustainability depends on the achievements of these learners, on their specialised knowledge, expertise and development, and on their collective capacity to widen and deepen social, economic and cultural development.

We must also ensure that sufficient numbers of students are equipped to work in areas of specific skills needs. STEM education, ICT skills and the development of languages skills are some of the key areas where we must ensure post-primary students are given a chance to explore their talents.

I look forwarded to reviewing the NCCA’s forthcoming report on priority areas and goals for the reform of senior cycle, and considering its implications for the further and higher education system.

A key goal of my Department is to ensure that diverse and progressive pathways in the education system are available to all, and this means ensuring that schools leavers have a clear path to transition from post-primary education to further or higher education, or to the world of work.

Against this background, one of my priorities is to enhance the visibility of further education and training and apprenticeships options for school leavers.

This year, for the first time, these options will be displayed prominently on the CAO website, alongside information on higher education options and I will update Cabinet on these plans on Thursday and make an announcement on this on Friday.

It is my intention that, in the coming years, applications for further education and training will be integrated fully into the CAO process.

The Leaving Certificate is not the only gateway to higher education. The work on transitions has found the levels of progression from FET to HE to be significant and higher than originally thought while acknowledging that progression to HE is only one of the aims of FET. We need to build on these options to ensure an inclusive third level sector.

Thank you for having me here today and I am happy to discuss this further.