Children’s voice not strong enough in Leaving Cert reform – Ombudsman for Children

Children’s voice not strong enough in Leaving Cert reform – Ombudsman for Children

The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, will today (Tuesday 9^th) address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, giving his views on Leaving Certificate reform.

The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon, will tell committee members:

“In 2016, the UN Committee on the Rights of Children strongly recommended the reform of the Leaving Certificate due to the disproportionate level of mental stress experienced by young people. I believe that, six years on, the State will fail to show any real progress on the implementation of this recommendation.

“No changes to the system are expected until 2030. This is indicative of the time needed to navigate the complexity of all the vested interests within the education system, among whom the students do not have a strong voice.

“Any deliberations about, and proposals for, reform of the Leaving Certificate need to recognise young people as the primary stakeholders and must put the interests of students first.

“The OCO endorses the call of the Irish Second-Level Student’s Untion for exams to be spaced out and for greater diversity in assessment methods other than terminal exams. There is a need to “capture and reward students’ diverse learning abilities, and not just their memory”.

“We need take this opportunity to create a new and more wide ranging senior cycle which caters for all of our children, and an exam process which is not just beneficial to those who are aiming for university.”

ENDS

• 9 Samhna 2021