National convention on education
Deputy Bruton suggests a new national convention on education to address major changes such as social media and leaving certificate reform. The Minister agrees the issue is timely and says he will speak to the Minister for Education.
Today, the Department of Education celebrates its 100th birthday. In 100 years, Ireland has moved from being a country with the poorest educational progression in Europe, with fewer than one in eight getting beyond primary level, to a country with the highest level of education participation. Thirty years ago this year, a national convention on education was held.
Given the watershed moment now in education, with massive changes in terms of digital, social media and the failure to reform adequately our leaving certificate, we need to consider having once again a national convention on education where these new challenges would be addressed and we would carve out a pathway for the future.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Bruton who, as always, makes a very important intervention. The whole environment has changed for school children, particularly with the prominence of social media and mobile phone devices. That is a debate that has been happening across the way. It might be timely on the 100th anniversary of the Department of Education to look at that again. I will certainly speak to the Minister, Deputy Foley, and inform her of Deputy Bruton's intervention and comments.