Eolas magazine Education Report Jan 2021

Education and skills report

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education and skills report

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD Upon its formation, the tri-party Government recognised the role that education will play in the post-Covid-19 recovery. eolas explores the initial tenure of the Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and examines the education portfolio’s priorities for the time ahead.

Having floundered in an interview with the Sunday Independent shortly after her appointment as Minister for Education in June 2020, Norma Foley has quietly endeavoured to get to grips with her portfolio.

The first-time TD was a surprise selection among the Fianna Fáil cabinet cohort in the coalition Government.

However, as successor to Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh TD, Foley is a seasoned public representative. A post-primary teacher by trade, the Kerry woman previously served as a member of Kerry County Council for the Tralee area, from 1994 until her ascent to the Dáil in 2020.

Covid-19 response The Department of Education exists to provide a policy, legislative and funding framework for the national education and training system. Throughout 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic radically altered the context in which this system operates. As such, the focus and resources of the department have been required to pivot accordingly to facilitate the continuity of learning, assessment and inclusion for students.

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In total, the Minister for Education delivered on four major objectives with broad success amid the Covid crisis.

1. Widening the eligibility criteria and delivering the Summer Provision 2020 programme: In July, the Department published the Home-Based Summer Provision 2020: Reconnecting with Education programme for children with complex special educational needs.

The expanded programme was widened to provide for around 15,000 children (5,000 more than the traditional July Provision) and its central objective was to prepare students for the reopening of schools.

2. Reopening schools that had been closed since 12 March 2020: In late August and early September 2020, the State’s 4,000 primary and post-primary schools successfully reopened. Through Reopening Our Schools: The Roadmap for the Full Return to School, the Department of Education provided a financial package of €377 million to support the safe and sustainable reopening of schools for over one million students and 110,000 staff.

3. Delivering calculated grades for Leaving Certificate students: Initially postponed (10 April 2020) the Leaving Cert was subsequently cancelled entirely (8 May 2020), and 61,000 students were assessed through a calculated grades system. Teachers were required to “to draw on existing records and available evidence, to provide a fair, reasonable and carefully considered judgment of the most likely percentage mark that each student would have achieved”. School leavers subsequently accessed their Leaving Cert grades online.

However, errors were later identified in the calculated grades system.

This problem was exacerbated by Foley’s delay in informing her Cabinet colleagues. As a result, a total of 6,870 grades increased, affecting 6,100 students.

4. Keeping schools open during the introduction of Level 5 public health restrictions: Ensuring that schools remain open and that students can continue to safely attend school is a key government priority. Following the introduction of Level 5 restrictions in October

Education in the PfG Additional educational ambitions for the Government are contained within the Programme for Government (PfG) and include “striving for education excellence”. As such, the Government has committed to establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education at primary and post-primary level, developing a Digital Education Strategy, reviewing and reforming both the primary and post-primary curricula and establishing a new Education Research and Policy Section within the Department.

The PfG also pledges to ensure plurality and choice in education, support for Gaeilge in education, support for school staff and the creation of a sustainable vision for school transport.

Strategic challenges and opportunities Looking ahead, the Minister’s Brief prepared by the Department of Education on behalf of the incoming Minister highlights several ongoing strategic challenges and opportunities for schools in Ireland.

Resourcing and demographics Amid service pressures and wider expenditure pressures across line departments, the budgetary position remains a challenge in education. For instance, demographic changes often precede sustainability, workforce planning, school accommodation and transport challenges, necessitating a comprehensive policy response.

Projections indicate that primary enrolments will decrease, and postprimary enrolments increase up until 2024, while third level education will grow significantly in the 2020s. Student numbers and staffing represent the two

“This Government’s first budget demonstrates clearly our commitment to, and support for, schools and our students.”

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD major drivers of school costs.

Simultaneously, demographic pressures have a direct impact on school accommodation capacity and therefore on capital expenditure.

developing school leadership and fostering a culture firmly focused on maintaining high-quality outcomes for students.

Additional budgetary pressures include school transport expenditure and pension costs. The latter pressures are projected to increase for the foreseeable future.

Inclusion

The Department of Education’s budget for 2021 is €8.9 billion, an increase of €410 million (5 per cent) on 2020. Upon the announcement of Budget 2021, Minister Foley stated: “This Government’s first budget demonstrates clearly our commitment to, and support for, schools and our students. With this significant new investment, we will continue to improve the experience of our children in education, and provide improved practical supports, particularly in light of Covid-19.

“I am delighted to announce that I have secured in this Budget the funding to reduce the pupil teacher ratio and class sizes.”

Curriculum and assessment A second objective is to develop greater coherence in education from early years to post-primary level. However, there is an acknowledgement that content and approach to teaching and assessment can be subject to contention. As such, the development and implementation of change in this sphere is complex.

Specific objectives include a redevelopment of the early years and primary curricula, continued implementation of junior cycle reform and the publication of an NCCA advisory report on senior cycle reform.

Quality of learning experience The enhancement of quality and performance across the education system is regarded as critical. To that end, the focus is primarily on augmenting the professionalisation of teaching, effective teacher education,

education and skills report

2020, Foley reaffirmed her commitment to the safe operation of schools, and they remained open. “A significant factor in the decision to move to Level 5 is that by doing so we can support our schools to continue to operate safely and sustainably during the pandemic. The decision recognises the overwhelming evidence from our public health experts, that schools are a safe environment for our school communities, children and staff members,” she said.

The department recognises that education is a critical component of inclusion and social mobility. While the equity of Ireland’s school system ranks relatively well in the OECD, a gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools remains.

Within the PfG commitment to address the cost of education as a barrier to participation and a financial burden on families, the Government commits to enacting the Student and Parent Charter Bill and commencing a free schoolbooks pilot.

The PfG identifies education as “the foundation for a more just and equal society”. The Government makes 15 commitments under the objective of supporting an “inclusive and equal education system”. This includes completing the new DEIS identification model, reviewing and expanding the Hot School Meals initiative and publishing a national policy on Initial Teacher Education to enhance access to teaching for people from minority backgrounds.

Similarly, the introduction of the new SNA allocation model has been postponed until September 2021.

However, capacity constraints within the HSE will limit, in the short-term at least, the reengagement of in-school therapy services. Meanwhile, in some schools, there has been difficulty in establishing special educational needs classes.

Overall, education is a complex portfolio facing several ongoing policy and funding challenges. Six months into her tenure, it is too soon to determine whether Norma Foley has an assured handle on her remit. After a shaky start, the Minister secured some early decisive wins for the government, though the delivery was far from flawless.

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education and skills report

Digital transformation in Higher Education: Where to next? reason for undertaking higher education is to be well-positioned for a future career and financial success in later life.

Research shows that a graduate earns on average €250,000 - €330,0001 more over their lifetime than a person who leaves the education system without a third level education. While this statistic would seem to reinforce the perception of enhanced earnings, what has become clear at the same time is that the linear relationship between degree, career, and earnings is now broken.

Covid-19 has accelerated the digital transformation agendas of third level institutions around the world, writes Pat Power, Managing Director, Health and Public Service, Accenture.

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In the early days, staff and students needed to be supported quickly and safely to enable them to work from home and complete their studies remotely. This was followed by extensive planning throughout the summer ahead of the new academic year, where third level institutions put in place digital solutions for online or hybrid campus environments. However, as we moved towards the new academic year, third level institutions across Ireland for the most part moved online based on Government advice. What were once contingency measures quickly became the norm for teachers and students alike.

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1. OECD, 2018

Prior to the pandemic, Irish third level institutions were already implementing their own digital strategies. The question now is whether they should continue with their original plans, albeit at an accelerated pace or if a more radical rethink is required. Based on Accenture’s experience and research, we have developed a framework for planning the next stages of digital transformation for the higher-level education sector. The three key themes of our framework are summarised here.

Value The concept of value surrounding a third level education is changing. A primary

2. Accenture UKI Higher Education Research 2019-2020

People now change careers many times throughout their lifetime. Recent research carried out by Accenture in the UK2 shows that seven in 10 students are kept awake at night worrying about their career prospects after third level education and we believe this to be the same in Ireland. This anxiety is caused by the need for clarity about the next steps following education – career planning, and the need for support in choosing a career suited to them and their skill set – career choice. Third level institutions need to consider a new approach to supporting students as they undertake their education journeys and careers. This includes the changing world of work, their course offerings, and learners’ attitudes towards their future finances.

This is reflected in the third phase of the Human Capital Initiative, a higher education programme intended to future-proof graduates by giving them transversal skills, launched recently by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD. With 22 projects earmarked for universities, colleges and institutes of technology, the programme will deliver an investment targeted towards increasing capacity in higher education in skills-focused programmes designed to meet priority skills needs.3 As the path from a degree to a career isn’t as apparent as it once was, new models to address this are already

3. www.hea.ie/skills-engagement/human-capital-initiative/

starting to emerge. The US-based Turning Basin Labs use a co-operative model to incentivise their alumni network in helping recent graduates find employment. These new organisations will be a compelling proposition for the career and financially motivated student.

As third level institutions plan for their future and the next stages of digital transformation, value should be at the heart of their approach.

Experience Third level institutions need to consider the student experience when planning for digital transformation. It might be tempting to focus the student experience on a combination of the learning experience (lectures, plenary sessions, seminars etc.), along with sports and social activity. However, this is too limited a model that risks neglecting some of the nuanced, but equally important factors, in a student’s experience. Some of the areas that mean most to the students are:

Relationships Relationships between students forged while in third level education often form one of their most unforgettable experiences. But perhaps equally important are the relationships that the institution helps nurture between students and staff.

Place

Self-organisation Third level education is often seen as a

The learning experience itself will need significant changes as the 2D world we now operate in requires redesign, not translation. Over the last few years, there have been many efforts to bring the third level experience online, focusing on remote learning. However, that experience has generally been poor as third level institutions attempt to replicate the offline experience. We strongly believe that third level institutions have to let go of the offline experience as a format and redesign the student experience from the ground up, with the student experience model and students' needs, and those of the staff, at the heart of the process.

Learning and research Life-long learning Fuelled by the increased accessibility of information and learning opportunities with an increasing shift to non-linear careers, we’re seeing attitudes towards learning change. Reflecting on this more diverse approach to career and life progression, we’re now seeing learning as an integral part of our lives: new skills need to be learnt to adapt to a rapidly changing world of work and it has never been easier to access specialist information.

contextual, focused learning spread across a person’s whole life, including micro-credentials. We believe that this will evolve learning for students as they demand more personalised and bespoke learning, delivered at the right time throughout their lives, not just in the three or four years of university study.

The time is now This combination of student factors, including the desire for life-long and flexible learning in context, along with external factors, such as market pressures and any lasting impacts of the pandemic, means that we’re unlikely to see this imperative for digital transformation disappear any time soon.

Now is the time to start to think, design, and experiment for lasting change and digital transformation.

For more information, or to discuss your requirements, please contact:

Pat Power Managing Director Health and Public Service Accenture E: Patrick.power@accenture.com T: (01) 646 2319 W: www.accenture.com

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This term is borrowed from architecture and urban planning that we believe has particular significance to higher education in Ireland. Place is the term that captures the essence of a location, encompassing the history, architecture, demography, local culture, language, economy etc. Where the institution is situated often colours the entire student experience.

launchpad for student independence. A strong sense of autonomy and selforganisation is a hallmark of the student experience, from organising nights in local clubs to founding and managing societies to engage with politics and activism.

education and skills report

A deeper dive into the student experience suggests that learning motivations lie with individual life goals such as improving quality of life, buying a house, exploring the world, or finding meaning. Consistently we find that education itself was of relatively low importance for people; however, attaining life goals was essential.

“A deeper dive into the student experience suggests that learning motivations lie with individual life goals such as improving quality of life, buying a house, exploring the world, or finding meaning. Consistently we find that education itself was of relatively low importance for people; however, attaining life goals was essential.”

A key element of this will be breaking down the traditional three-five-year learning model favouring a more 75

education and skills report

Budget seeks to deliver on PfG education promises The Programme for Government agreed by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party promises “better opportunities through education and research”. With a funding increase of €410 million delivered through Budget 2021, the quest to deliver that promise now begins.

Programme for Government The Programme for Government (PfG) states that education is a “cornerstone of society and a driver of social equality” and says that it is “imperative” that the Government creates “new and viable opportunities for young people and those wishing to re-skill”. The Government also stresses its belief that education will be a key enabler in Ireland’s recovery from Covid-19 and in the country’s attempts to fight the climate crisis.

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Under the heading of “primary and post-primary education”, the Government pledges to continue the development of the education system to “meet the needs of all students and to tackle disadvantage from an early age”. The various ways in which children are disadvantaged such as cost, equipment and travel arrangements are addressed throughout.

In terms of cost, the Government pledges to enact the Student and Parent Charter Bill, which will require

schools to publish and implement charters for students and parents. A free schoolbooks pilot scheme is also pledge, with national rollout “as resources allow”; in 2019, then-Fianna Fáil TD and now-Senator and thenChair of the Committee on Education and Social Protection Fiona O’Loughlin estimated that €20 million would provide the seed funding for a national book renting scheme. Relatedly, the PfG also says that the Government will develop guidelines for schools for costeffective and sustainable practices in

order to decrease equipment and uniform prices for families, with the use of workbooks discouraged.

Under its plan for “high quality education”, the Government says that it will seek to increase the capitation grant in order to reduce the reliance on voluntary contributions to schools.

Additional pledges involve the “further progress” towards a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools, the completion of an audit and inventory of all school buildings and infrastructure in the State, the expansion of the Energy Efficiency Upgrade Pilot Programme for Schools and the placement of the minor works grant on permanent footing for schools.

The Government has also set itself the target of at least 400 multidenominational primary schools by 2030 and plans to “prioritise” the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools. In terms of support

It is in its provision of staff, at a time when staff conditions are of utmost concern, that the PfG is at its sparsest on detail in an educational context.

Teachers and leasers are simply said to “need to be supported to continually improve” and the Government says it will “help them to develop their own self-evaluation plan” and “invest in teachers’ continued professional development”.

Budget 2021 Most notable among the education measures outlined in Budget 2021 is the provision of 2,100 new teachers and special needs assistants, progressing towards the Government’s stated aim of reducing class sizes. With Ireland having the most overcrowded primary school classes in the EU, the announcement of 307 new teachers in primary schools will go some way towards addressing pupil-teacher ratio.

The increase in allocation of teacher to schools will begin in the 2021/22 school year, at a cost of €14.5 million per year and will lower the pupil-teacher ratio from 26:1 to 25:1. The figure of 2,100 new teachers and assistants also consists of 403 special education teachers, 990 special needs assistants and 267 extra teaching posts across primary and post-primary education.

Pupil-teacher ratio has been one of the

Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) main campaigning points of the last five years; the EU average class size is 20, while it stands at 24 in Ireland, with one-in-five children taught in classes of 30 or more.

Overall, the education sector was allocated €8.9 billion under Budget 2021, an increase of €410 million. The further funding of DEIS schools, as promised in the PfG, is delivered through additional funding of €2 million in 2021 and €5 million in a full year.

Other notable monetary figures pledged in the Budget include: €226 million for schools’ Covid-19 responses from January to July/August 2021; €740 million to provide additional capacity to the school system to deal with both Covid and the increased numbers of students; and €80 million extra in 2020 capital investment to “allow for the ICT grant and also the minor works grant at primary level that would be due to be paid in 2021 to be paid in late 2020”. €2 billion in funding for special education has also been allocated, with the number of special needs assistants targeted to exceed 18,000 in 2021.

education and skills report

For transport, the Government pledges a “comprehensive” review of the School Transport Scheme, with a view to providing better value and a better service for students. Contained within the Government’s “inclusive vision for education” is: the support for continued investment in special needs assistants; “further progress” towards needsbased supports for students with special educational needs; an update of the National Anti-Bullying Plan to include gender identity bullying; the publication of a national policy on initial teacher education to encourage further access to teaching for those from minority backgrounds and the completion of the new DEIS identification model, with the extension of DEIS status to schools deemed suitable.

for Irish language and culture education, increased supports to An Comhairle um Oideachas agus Gaelscoilíochta are pledged, along with an Irish Cultural Studies Junior Cycle Level 2 course with an emphasis on Irish language, culture, nature and biodiversity, including Traveller culture and history.

The INTO welcomed the Budget’s steps towards shortening the pupil-teacher ratio, saying in a statement that the pandemic has meant that “a spotlight has been shone on this chronic problem and we acknowledge that the Government has provided some good news”. General Secretary John Boyle said: “This measure will be of most benefit to the one-in-five pupils who learn in classes of 30 or more. While tens of thousands of children will continue to learn in classes above the EU average, we are at least on the right road now. This change will have a positive impact on the primary education landscape.”

However, in a further statement the next day, Boyle criticised plans for only including DEIS band one senior schools in the ratio reductions, leaving out DEIS band one junior and vertical schools.

Boyle said: “The decision makes no sense considering the evidence that class size matters most for younger children and for those suffering disadvantage. The children in both of these categories are left out of this wrong-headed plan, which must be revised to include all DEIS band one schools.”

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Higher Education Authority: Adapting to our new reality education and skills report

The impact of Covid-19 on higher education has forced changes across the board, but it also foregrounded the issues where the Higher Education Authority would be required to place its focus in the immediate future – flexible skills provision, inclusion, and the changing landscape.

As head of the HEA, Dr Wall is only too aware of the challenges that the higher education sector has had to face over the past year. And now, more than ever, it needs to be acutely responsive to the future and emerging skills needs of the Irish economy.

“To date Higher Education has responded well to the demands of society and there is good evidence to back this up. Take, for example, our most recent Graduate Outcomes Report.

It shows that 80 per cent of graduates are in employment nine months after graduation and 90 per cent of those employed graduates are working in Ireland. Further, there is a high level of satisfaction amongst employers, our Ireland National Employer Survey showed an 86 per cent satisfaction rating among employers with the quality of higher education graduates.

“However, the system needs to continue to be more responsive to, and focused on, the future and emerging skill needs of the Irish and international economy.”

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The new Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority, Dr Alan Wall, speaks about his belief that future and emerging skills are the key to economic success nationally and internationally and how Ireland’s higher education sector must adapt to make this a successful reality.

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Sectoral response To date, the response of the higher education sector to aligning the skills needs of the economy has been further enhanced through initiatives such as Springboard+ courses, the Human Capital Initiative, the Apprenticeship system, the July Stimulus and more generally throughout the HEA’s undergraduate and postgraduate provision.

The role of employer engagement is to the forefront of all these initiatives through direct links with higher education providers or through engagement with

the Regional Skills Fora Managers.

This collaborative approach has ensured that the higher education sector is producing graduates that are future world and work ready – such as embedding creative thinking, entrepreneurial skills, new technologies and new teaching and learning methods.

“This challenge is being met through a host of different initiatives that are targeted in specific areas such as innovative methods of teaching and delivery and responding rapidly to the emerging skills needs of enterprise, ensuring that we keep ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing students for the new and changing economic landscape.”

Access to education One of the ways this is working for higher education and for enterprise is a new system which will allow pathways to full qualifications in bite-sized chunks and where students can get recognition of their prior learning, which would include industry experience, opening access to higher education to a whole new group of learners.

The recent July Stimulus funding allowed for the development of modular shortbased courses like those being run in other EU countries. It is an area that the HEA would like to expand further due to its importance, flexible approach, and popularity.

“What is needed is the development of more seamless pathways between further and higher education that allows movement back and forth between the two different sectors. I see this as being an important focus area between the two sectors in the coming years,” Dr Wall says.

“While progress has been made, our higher education population is still not as diverse as it should be. It does not reflect the diversity of the population of Ireland; this needs to change. The economy requires a supply of innovative, creative, flexible, and critical thinking graduates who bring diverse ideas to their places of work and challenge traditional ways of thinking. We can only supply these graduates if there is a diversity of students entering higher education.

“We want to be a society that embraces diversity and where higher education is accessible by all regardless of background, disability, ethnicity or financial means. This is a priority that dovetails with economic objectives. Our economy needs to mobilise the talents and skills of our diverse population in order to sustain growth and meet skills needs. For both social and economic objectives, it is therefore imperative that inclusivity is at the heart of our objectives for our higher education system.”

Funding streams such as the FSD (Fund for Students with Disabilities), SAF (Student Assistance Fund) and PATH (Programme for Access to Higher Education) are welcome investments and build on the core access infrastructure funding provided through the HEA block grant. However, this needs to also be part of a wider social policy strategy and integrated whole-ofeducation approach that addresses systemic issues of disadvantage across society.

Technological universities “The landscape of Irish higher education is changing. The most significant change

is the emergence of technological universities. These new institutions will build on the firm foundations of the former Institutes of Technology, increasing their capacity and collaborative scale in teaching and learning, equity of access, research and societal and enterprise engagement,” he says.

Ireland’s first new technological university, Technological University Dublin, was created in early 2019 through the merger of DIT, and the Institutes of Technology in Tallaght and Blanchardstown. Cork and Tralee will formally merge in January 2021 to form Munster Technological University. There are others on the way too, Sligo, Letterkenny and Galway on the west coast, Limerick and Athlone in midlands and mid-west, and Carlow and Waterford in the south-east.

“These TUs are in and of their regions, and each will be distinctive, both from each other and from traditional universities, but equally each will support social, cultural and economic development, as well as delivering an enhanced student experience and range of flexible and targeted learning opportunities,” says Dr Wall.

When he joined the HEA as its new Chief Executive in 2019, Dr Wall says he found an organisation that “works hard to support a system catering for almost a quarter of a million students”.

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Higher education is also about ensuring the student gets what they need from their studies and in a changing environment, this can be complex.

Not only do we need flexible provision, but we need to ensure that we provide pathways to higher education to all of those seeking to upskill through higher education.

education and skills report

“We need also to ensure that we are constantly preparing for new and emerging technologies and a changing cohort of learners. While a lot has been achieved, there is always room for improvement and higher education needs to be examining different types of work-based learning and dual learning initiatives which are flexible and can be rapidly updated to meet labour market skills needs.

“We are now at a challenging point but also at a place of opportunity for reform and modernisation. We are ready for that challenge,” Dr Wall concludes.

T: +353 1 231 7100 E: info@hea.ie Twitter: @hea_irl W: www.hea.ie

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education and skills report

Covid-19 and second-level education A report analysing the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on second-level education has found access to technology and broadband to be the main factor informing the quality of responses to the pandemic.

Conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in partnership with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment and the Commission for Communications Regulation, Learning for all? Second-level education in Ireland during Covid-19 found that almost half of the school leaders surveyed reported broadband connectivity and access to ICT devices as issues in their schools’ responses to the Covid-19 closure of schools in March 2020.

amenities, the research found that 53.5 per cent of schools had provided ICT equipment to their students as a result of the closures. 19.9 per cent of schools said that they were in the process of sourcing and acquitting equipment to do the same, while 13.3 per cent of schools had already provided ICT equipment prior to the pandemic and the same proportion of schools had not supplied any equipment and were in the process of doing so at the time of the report’s publication in June 2020.

Both of these issues were exacerbated in DEIS schools, schools in areas with lower coverage of high-speed broadband and lower household incomes. The study was conducted with the aim of establishing how the second-level education sector has responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic and how teaching and learning have been affected.

18 per cent of schools reported the use of live online video classes for “all classes”, while 38.9 per cent and 40.2 per cent used the method for “most classes” and “some classes” respectively. 3 per cent of schools reported no virtual live teaching.

Differences in use and frequency of virtual live teaching across areas of varying broadband strength were apparent in the reportage, with 89.9 per cent of schools surveyed in good broadband coverage areas saying “all”

As schools were forced to adapt to closures and a lack of access to

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or “most” classes were conducted through this method. In areas of lower broadband coverage, this figure drops to 61.8 per cent. In schools with lower income catchment areas, this figure falls again to 49.2 per cent, while higher income areas recorded a rate of 65.5 per cent.

Pre-recorded videos and audio and shared presentations were reported as being used in “some” classes by “almost all schools”, with platforms such as Kahoot and StudyClix reported to have been used by 90 per cent of schools. Paper-based learning such as worksheets and textbooks was used for “all classes” by 16.8 per cent of schools, for “most classes” again by 16.8 per cent and for “some classes” by 50.4 per cent. 15.9 per cent of schools reported no use of paperbased methods for remote learning.

There was no difference found in the prevalence of paper-based methods by DEIS status or income/broadband characteristics of the areas surveyed.

Provision of ICT equipment in secondary schools

13.3%

No

53.5%

Yes, as a result of school closures

Yes, prior to school closures

19.9% 13.3%

Source: ESRI

Use of live virtual teaching in "all" or "most" classes by area characteristics

Across all schools, 33 per cent of schools reported participation in the free school meals programme during the shutdown, with just 2.6 per cent of schools who normally participate not participating in the programme during the lockdown. 95.5 per cent of DEIS schools reported participation but 4.6 per cent did not participate where they usually did. 8 per cent of non-DEIS schools reported participation, with 3.1 per cent of those who usually participate not doing so.

89.9%

65.5%

61.8% 49.2%

Good broadband coverage areas

Lower broadband coverage areas

Lower income catchment areas

Higher income catchment areas Source: ESRI

Schools reporting digital divide in terms of both broadband quality and ICT equipment access Higher income catchment areas

35.9%

Lower income catchment areas

58.0%

Lower broadband coverage areas Good broadband coverage areas

56.7% 37.1%

DEIS schools All schools

48 per cent of all schools surveyed reported a digital divide in relation to both broadband access and provision of ICT equipment across their students.

57.6 per cent of DEIS schools reported being limited in terms of broadband and equipment access. Just 37.1 per cent of schools in areas with high availability of high-speed broadband reported issues in both areas, while 56.7 per cent of schools in areas with lower coverage reported issues with both aspects. 58 per cent of schools in lower income catchment areas reported issues with both, compared to 35.9 per cent in higher income areas.

education and skills report

In the process of sourcing/acquiring

Phone-based communication was reported by 60.7 per cent of schools for at least “some” classes. A greater reliance on phones was evident in DEIS schools, with 82.5 per cent of those surveyed reporting use of phones for teaching, while 52.4 per cent of nonDEIS schools reported the same.

57.6% 48.0% Source: ESRI

The report also notes that “a major factor impacting schools’ shift to distance learning was the lack of time to prepare, with the announcement that school buildings were to close made on the morning of 12 March and the closure commencing at 6pm that day”.

Concluding, the report states that whole some schools, “iPad schools” in particular, “reported almost seamless transitions” to remote learning, but that the transition “impacted on student engagement and participation” and that teachers “experienced a range of difficulties in working from home”.

Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged background were found to be most affected, leading to fears that “one outcome of the lockdown will be a widening of the gap as preexisting advantage and disadvantage are compounded”.

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Action plan for apprenticeships Following the conclusion of the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020, the Government has launched the consultation process for its next apprenticeship action plan.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, and Minister of State for Further Education and Skills Niall Collins TD launched the consultation process for the next action plan for apprenticeships in Ireland in August. The number of people registering for an apprenticeship almost doubled between 2016 and 2019, jumping from 3,153 to 6,177.

However, the Government has noted that of those 6,177, just 2.7 per cent self-declared as having a disability and 4 per cent are female. The new action plan will seek to build on the Programme for Government and the Further Education and Training Strategy that was launched in July to “set out a five-year pathway to embed apprenticeship in enterprise and will provide a comprehensive set of actions designed to increase the diversity of learners who chose apprenticeship programmes”.

Apprenticeships are currently offered through 55 programmes in Ireland, with a further 23 in development for rollout “during 2020 and beyond”. The 82

qualifications take from two to four years to complete and cover levels 5-9 of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Speaking at the launch, Minister Harris said: “We know that our apprenticeship model needs to be revised and this consultation is the beginning of that process. We also know we need to expand the model and change people’s mind set of what an apprentice is and is not. The apprentice model is no longer confined to craft trades. It has expanded to the financial services sector, to ICT and accounting. Now we must look to expand it to where skillsets are most needed including in the area of childcare and the health service and crucially where it may be needed in the future.”

The week before the commencement of the consultation process, Harris announced a new incentive scheme for employers, allowing them to earn up to €3,000 for each apprentice in their employ. The companies availing of the scheme will collect €1,000 upon the apprentice’s appointment and a further €2,000 if the apprentice is still in post 12 months later.

Reviewing the figures forecast and targeted in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeships and Traineeships in Ireland 2016-2020 reveals a failure on the part of the previous government to hit the targets it had outlined for itself.

9,000 total apprenticeship registrations were targeted for 2020 and if the outbreak of Covid-19 can excuse the failure to reach that target (as is expected), no such excuse exists for the failure to meet 2019’s target of 7,384.

While the 6,177 registrations in 2019 did mark significant progress from 2016, this number did still fall quite short of its intended level.

With the economic damage wrought by Covid-19, it is perhaps not surprising that incentives are required to support the taking on of apprentices. Starting with the scheduled expansions of apprenticeships to 78 programmes and to level 10, the highest level of the NQF and PhD equivalent, the new action plan will need to continue its diversification of portions if the Government is to reach its goal of more overall registrations and the diversifications of those registering.

Get active, stay active: EPALE

by Erasmus+, co-financed by European Union member states and supported in Ireland by SOLAS. It has National Support Services (NSSs) in 38 European countries, writes Manika-Nia Dixon, EPALE IE Coordinator.

EPALE is intended for Adult Education professionals including FET educators and trainers; guidance and support staff; researchers and academics; and policymakers. The platform is unique in its: •

Open membership;

•

Multilingual approach;

•

User-led content; and

•

Communities of practice.

The platform provides a haven for practitioners to collaborate, innovate, and connect through blog posts, open discussions, and the partner search tool, as well as through physical gatherings.

EPALE in Ireland is managed by Léargas, the National Agency for Erasmus+ Adult Education, School Education, VET and Youth. Like many NSSs, EPALE Ireland (IE) takes a digital approach to activate practitioners across the country to get active and stay active in EPALE.

EPALE surveys what is being done and looks for ways to elevate, switch, or create something new, and in doing so facilitates space for the sector to grow and innovate alongside.

Each year we identify quarterly themes and design specific events and discussion around them. In 2020, EPALE IE approached topics like: •

Digital challenges and opportunities;

•

E-teaching languages journeys;

•

Story finding in the community; and

•

Bringing burnout tools to adult learners.

professional capabilities. The connections made uphold EPALE’s mission of pan-European cooperation.

Through joining EPALE for free, members become part of the largest hub for adult learning in Europe and have access to an ever-growing community where each member is an integral part of the vibrancy and creativity of the platform. In addition to having access to relevant content, members can submit blog posts, news, events, and resources. Registered users are also able to participate in shared spaces and communities of practice, encouraging networking and professional improvement. All this creates a very special kind of collaborative atmosphere.

EPALE’s calendar enables members to easily understand what is coming up, as well as view past events, to help complement their own events and cultivate ideas for the future.

EPALE’s success in cultivating a community platform in adult learning makes it a worthwhile venture for every professional within the field.

Léargas, Kings Inns House, Parnell St, Dublin 1, D01 A3Y8 E: epale@leargas.ie W: www.leargas.ie

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EPALE IE offers workshops, webinars, discussion points, events, and news updates relevant to the Adult Education sector in Ireland. EPALE IE also focuses on promoting more and better opportunities for adult learners through connection with specialists in the adult education sector. For EPALE IE, we value staying current: we strive to animate the platform through topics that members identify as both useful and relevant.

Because EPALE is an electronic platform, we were uniquely situated during the beginning stages of the global pandemic to continue to serve our members. However, we – and many other NSSs – endeavour to be continuously innovative in our delivery of original content and events. EPALE IE, for example, responded to the potential oversaturation of web-based events by constructing a space that relieves members of burnout. Supporting members by staying in tune with needs is a primary objective for us.

education and skills report

EPALE is the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. It is funded

We used feedback from each event to create more content and events for members to boost their professional knowledge and expertise. Traversing down wide and varied topics within EPALE’s overarching themes allows members to expand on their

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Covid-19 and third-level education

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A total income loss of €348 million is forecast across universities in Ireland in the academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21, with 46 per cent of that loss due to a fall of fee income from international students, a government report has found.

The report, published by the Parliamentary Budget Office, focuses on Covid-19’s impact on third-level education in Ireland. It states that all seven universities are projecting deficits across both the academic years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.

Income loss of €104 million is projected for the academic year 2019/20 across the Republic’s seven universities, the “vast majority” of which stems from losses in commercial revenue, which accounts for 69 per cent, with 23 per cent being losses in research grants and contracts and 7 per cent relating to a loss in tuition income. Further losses of €244 million are projected for the academic year 2020/21; 71 per cent of this projection comes from loss of tuition fee income, 64 per cent being from loss of tuition from international students alone. Decreases in other commercial revenue account for 26 per cent.

Cumulatively, total income losses of €348 million are projected across the two years combined, with 46 per cent of that accounted for by loss of tuition fee income from international students,

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a total of €160 million. €135 million, or 39 per cent, is accounted for by loss of other commercial revenues. Other commercial revenues are broken down into further subcategories: student accommodation (losses of €23.5 million and €13.5 million in 2019/20 and 2020/21 respectively); visitor attractions (€11.5 million and €6 million); summer schools (€6 million and €4 million); conferences and events (€6 million and €2 million); sport centres/gyms, catering, professional education, shops, etc. (€15 million and €28.5 million); and endowment income, philanthropic income, etc. (€10 million and €10 million).

The report also notes that the “loss in tuition fee income, as projected, will likely have financial implications for the sector beyond 2020/21, as students enrolling in that year would likely have enrolled for two to three additional years, depending on the duration of the study”. The Irish Universities Association has suggested that some of these costs could be compensated via business interruption insurance claims and through payments for the provision

of facilities and services from organisations such as the HSE during the pandemic, although the report says that the former is “highly uncertain”.

From an expenditure point of view, there are projected savings of €19.5 million for the academic year 2019/20, split between pay at €2.9 million and non-pay at €16.6 million. €1.7 million in additional spending is projected for the academic year 2020/21, again split between €0.5 million of pay and €1.2 million of non-pay. Overall, the net cost of Covid-19 for the seven universities is projected to be €83 million for 2019/20 and €245 million in 2020/21, a total of €328 million over the current and just gone academic years.

A total deficit of €292 million over the two years, €67 million in 2019/20 and €225 million in 2020/21, is projected.

These figures do not take into account the funding pledged to the sector by the Government in response to the pandemic. However, with €209 million in aid pledged so far, loss figures suggest these aid figures will be required to increase.

Generating capacity within Higher Education Third-level institutions must adapt their financial strategies to the new normal by generating capacity and funds, using levers including spend, liquidity, credit, and portfolio management, writes Aoife Donnelly, Managing Director, CFO and Enterprise Value, Accenture.

Manage spend The pandemic has accelerated cost management programmes and encouraged new ones across all areas of the economy. Third level institutions do not wish to revert to some of the sharper cost takeout approaches that were taken during the 2008 recession, where department budgets were cut en

Third level institutions must also be aware that where spending cuts are imposed, they may not be sustainable in all areas. Some staff are going to have to travel again. Work may need to be contracted again, but there is an opportunity to re-evaluate costs and the processes around them to ensure that they do not return to previous levels.

Manage liquidity Every third level institution has to carefully manage working capital, and make sure there’s always cash to pay bills. Putting a hold on non-essential work, leveraging contractors for the right work, and talking to suppliers about invoice arrangements and outstanding payments can also shore up liquidity and avoid unnecessary bank charges.

Financing and credit

there is an opportunity for third level institutions to evaluate their credit arrangements, supporting their liquidity goals.

Portfolio management Third level institutions should carry out a strategic review of performing and nonperforming assets and divest where appropriate. Some institutions hold significant property portfolios. Now, is the time to review these investments, start to manage the portfolio strategically ensuring alignment with long term plans in order to and understand where costs can be avoided.

All of these are levers that come up in discussions that Accenture is having with its clients in the education sector in Ireland and around the world. A new willingness to embrace technology is also apparent as part of these discussions; for example, the business case for delivering services from the cloud instead of on-premises IT stacks – the OPEX versus CAPEX argument.

This is likely to gain even more traction.

There will likely be continued uncertainty ahead as the lasting impacts of the pandemic edge into the 2021/2022 academic year, and finances are still a big unknown. What is certain is that third level institutions need to put financial strategies in place to navigate these uncertain times.

For more information, or to discuss your requirements, please contact:

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While some welcomed Government support has been provided, there will be a gap between third level institution’s income and the spending required to deliver transformation as a result of the pandemic, such as student information systems, support hubs and other digital solutions (e.g. Virtual Open Days). Third level institutions across the country will need to look at how they generate capacity and funds from within. When looking to generate this capacity, there are several levers they can consider:

How can employee engagement and workforce scheduling be managed to reduce both absence and overtime?

education and skills report

Now, more than ever, it is clear that third level institutions need to invest in their people, processes, and digital solutions. Even in more normal times, this would be challenging, but today we’re living in a time that could be described as the never normal. It is forecast by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) that there will be a potential shortfall of €500 million this year and next for third level institutions across Ireland. As is widely known, this shortfall stems from reductions in income sources, including academic fees from international students but also many lesser-known income sources, including tourism, catering, events, English language teaching, and others.

The pandemic has impacted all of these revenue drivers, like so many other areas of the economy.

masse. The sector needs to take a smart and targeted approach to reduce spend, generate capacity and funds to focus on the most critical initiatives, while protecting services, students, and staff. When it comes to managing this spend, this will involve understanding consumption trends, price, and challenging accepted ways of working.

For example, in a world where hybrid learning is already the norm, what shortto-medium-term property lease arrangements can be immediately terminated? How can lectures be scheduled to minimise energy usage?

What controls can we put around printing to direct focus to online resources? What systems do we have in place to review fees to third parties?

Aoife Donnelly Managing Director, CFO & Enterprise Value, Accenture E: aoife.donnelly@accenture.com

Many institutions are moving quickly to renegotiate debt paydown and credit facility options on borrowings with their banks to help. The banking industry in the main has stepped up to the impact of Covid on their clients. As a result, 85

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Transforming business through talent “The experience and expertise Skillnet Ireland has gained over the last 20 years and models it has developed will support it in helping business to recover, transform and grow. Skillnet Ireland is ambitious for Ireland and for Irish enterprise, and our new strategy reflects the need for Ireland to have a highly skilled and agile workforce. Skillnet Ireland is doing this by setting itself ambitious targets, focused on the three key themes of workforce design, people development and strategic innovation.”

The primary challenges anticipated by business leaders globally at the turn of the decade just 12 months ago largely focused on disruptive influences including rapid advancement in technology, geopolitical issues and climate change. Few could have predicted the scale of disruption that would

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follow on account of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

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The profound impact on societies, economies and workers has resulted in a seismic and almost immediate shift in the way businesses operate and the ways in which workers carry out their jobs. Skillnet Ireland believes that the business community in Ireland can take heart from how we have collectively adapted to the unparalleled change experienced over the course of the past year.

renewed spirit of optimism among the business community about the challenges that we collectively face now

Our response to Covid-19 has highlighted the great capacity that exists within us all for renewal and invention.

Through this time, Skillnet Ireland and its industry partners have fostered a

“At Skillnet Ireland, we are building a

and in the future. It is in that same spirit that Skillnet Ireland recently introduced Transforming Business through Talent 2021-2025, an ambitious and comprehensive strategy that will see Skillnet Ireland fulfil its full potential in shaping Ireland’s workforce.

world class, enterprise-led organisation to prepare businesses and workers for the future of work,” said Brendan McGinty, Chairperson of Skillnet Ireland.

As working environments become more complex and greater mobility is needed, developing people is an essential route to achieving business goals. Lifelong learning has never been more relevant and will be a driving force in our recovery from this period of significant disruption that will require all of us to adapt and learn new skills. Companies and workers are central to this, as Skillnet Ireland firmly believes the skills that power Ireland’s economy are derived from within employment.

Paul Healy, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland said: “We are putting in place a five-year strategy that will focus on equipping businesses with the talent they need to tackle the significant challenges they face. This has never been more important than today, as we continue to grapple with the economic impacts of Covid-19. Skillnet Ireland has responded to the needs of businesses from the very beginning of this crisis, supporting organisations struggling because of the pandemic to pivot into new sectors.”

The future, although challenging, offers us a chance to transition and transform businesses, build new business models, or reengineer existing ones, and for those within the workforce to build new skills and career paths. Skillnet Ireland’s strategy responds to these challenges, outlining a clear and effective path to new people development supports that are tailored to a world of virtual working

and often time-poor businesses and workers.

Skillnet Ireland uses a highly specialised approach to people development. It works with employers, across more than 50 distinct industry groups, to determine future talent and upskilling needs and the solutions they need to meet them. With direct access to 18,400 SMEs, Skillnet Ireland, in collaboration with its industry partners, aims to increase its focus on the upskilling and management development programmes that drive growth and innovation in SMEs.

education and skills report

Operating at the intersection between the business sector, government, and the training and education system, Skillnet Ireland will enhance its role over the next five years as a coordinating body, to consistently drive continued collaboration between businesses, industry bodies and the training and education ecosystem.

Speaking about the impact of Skillnet Ireland’s role in the innovation ecosystem, Chief Executive Paul Healy said: “As we navigate the future and the challenges it brings, we must equip businesses with the right talent to ensure they are fit for purpose. Our activity over the next five years will deliver a fourfold increase in innovation themed workforce development projects. The digital agenda and climate action are key drivers of change, and our new strategy, and its enabling plans, speak to these in a really clear way.

“Skillnet Ireland looks forward to working with businesses to support the talent demands for building a low-carbon and sustainable economy through our enterprise-driven climate action upskilling initiative. We will also work with our partners to address the need for greater digitalisation of processes as we all move towards a more digital future.”

companies develop their capacity to deal with the additional customs requirements arising from the UK’s departure from the Customs Union.

Skillnet Ireland also has a range of industry-led back to employment programmes underway through its new Skills Connect initiative, which will play a key role in supporting re-entry to the workforce for those most impacted by Covid-19. Skills Connect is a practical employer-driven initiative that connects affected workers to new opportunities in the workplace, by building on their existing skills and experience. Over 500 companies from across the economy have already committed to supporting

the Skills Connect initiative through the provision of work placements, mentoring and other supports.

Central to all of Skillnet Ireland’s work is its belief that enterprise-led learning can help business leaders, managers and the workforce meet the demands of the future, and enable businesses to be the best they can be.

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Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Skillnet Ireland has intensified the collaboration with its industry partners, providing speedy and high impact solutions that are making a real difference on the ground. Its 70 Skillnet Networks have responded with a wide range of supports for businesses and adapted their business model rapidly to deliver their services online.

Skillnet Ireland also launched new programmes, Rebound Back to Work Safely, and MentorsWork to help business owner-managers and leaders sustain and improve their business performance while addressing their specific business needs. Skillnet Ireland’s award-winning Clear Customs Scheme has also been central to Brexit preparations, helping more than 1,700

“Skillnet Ireland is putting in place a five-year strategy that will focus on equipping businesses with the talent they need to tackle the significant challenges they face. This has never been more important than today, as we continue to grapple with the economic impacts of Covid-19. We have responded to the needs of businesses from the very beginning of this crisis, supporting organisations struggling because of the pandemic to pivot into new sectors.”

To find our more about Skillnet Ireland’s Strategy ‘Transforming Business Through Talent’, visit www.skillnetireland.ie/strategy2025

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QS World University Rankings 2021 education and skills report

Half of Ireland’s top 10 universities climbed places in Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for 2021.

NUI Galway climbed 21 places, positioning itself within the top fifth in the QS rankings. Meanwhile, Trinity College Dublin retained its position as Ireland’s best ranked university and now sits just outside the top 100.

The rankings are determined by key indicators which include academic reputation, staff-to-student ratios, citations per faculty and the international dimensions of the workforce and student populations.

02

Credit: UCD

03

01 Credit: Hernán Piñera

Trinity College Dublin Rank: 101 ↑ 7 Status: Public Research output: Very high Academic faculty staff: 1,399 Total students: 15,618

04 Credit: William Murphy

University College Dublin

Queen’s University Belfast

NUI Galway

Rank: 177 ↑ 8 Status: Public Research output: Very high Academic faculty staff: 1,725 Total students: 20,162

Rank: 209 ↓ 36 Status: Public Research output: Very high Academic faculty staff: 1,939 Total Students: 18,694

Rank: 238 ↑ 21 Status: Public Research output: High Academic faculty staff: 1,901 Total students: 14,207

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06

Credit: DCU

07

Credit: William Murphy

Credit: William Murphy

University College Cork

Dublin City University

University of Limerick

Rank: 286 ↑ 24 Status: Public Research output: Very high Academic faculty staff: 1,628 Total students: 16,757

Rank: 439 ↓ 10 Status: Public Research output: High Academic faculty staff: 1,185 Total students: 12,705

Rank: 511-520 ↑ Status: Public Research output: High Academic faculty staff: 871 Total students: 12,846

08

Credit: Ulster University

09

Credit: William Murphy

10 Credit: William Murphy

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Ulster University

Maynooth University

Technological University Dublin

Rank: 601-650 = Status: Public Research output: High Academic faculty staff: 1,103 Total students: 14,669

Rank: 701-750 = Status: Public Research output: Very high Academic faculty staff: 651 Total students: 10,425

Rank: 801-1,000 ↓ Status: Public Research output: High Academic faculty staff: 1,445 Total students: 21,363

Youth Wiki: Europe’s online encyclopaedia for national youth policies Created by the European Commission to help policy makers in decision making, Youth Wiki provides

education and skills report

information on youth policy within and across countries. It is a one-stop-shop to compare national structures, policies and actions that support young people between 29 countries, writes Léargas’ Laura Austen-Gray, National Correspondent for Youth Wiki.

The platform is designed for those who need policy information fast. The Youth Wiki offers comprehensive, qualitative information that can be quickly searched by either country or policy area. Readers are also directed to further resources where you can find additional information on each topic.

The main source of the platform’s information is official documents from national top-level authorities in the youth field. Information from studies, surveys, analyses or assessments/evaluations, conducted directly by public authorities or commissioned to research centres, experts, and think-tanks, is also provided.

The platform’s content is shaped by the policy priorities established by the European Commission and the member states in the framework of European cooperation in the youth field. Currently, you can access information on ten policy areas in the Youth Wiki ‘chapters’: •

Youth Policy Governance

•

Voluntary Activities

•

Employment and Entrepreneurship

•

Social Inclusion

•

Participation

•

Education and Training

•

Health and Well-Being

•

Creativity and Culture

•

Youth and the World

•

Youth Work

For an even faster way to compare youth policy issues, you can also explore information through interactive maps.

A feature of the Youth Wiki is that it reports complex policy initiatives in accessible, plain English. Each policy area is subdivided into several topics, ensuring that it is easy to scan for the information you need.

Youth Wiki Ireland is managed by Léargas, the National Agency for Erasmus+ in Adult Education, School Education, Vocational Education and Training, and Youth. The Youth Wiki is nationally co-funded by the European Commission and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Léargas, Kings Inn House, Parnell St, Rotunda, Dublin 1, D01 A3Y8 T: 01 887 1241 E: laustengray@leargas.ie W: www.leargas.ie

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The Youth Wiki enables the exchange of information and innovative approaches and can be used as a resource to support peer learning activities. It is the ideal platform for policy makers to find inspiration for new youth policies, programmes or reforms already established by other European nations. Meanwhile, academics and researchers may benefit from comparing initiatives and outcomes across countries. Front line youth workers and those working in youth organisations can use the Youth Wiki to find additional opportunities which could benefit their clients.

Youth Wiki Ireland provides the highest standard of data. The information is written by the National Correspondent and thoroughly fact-checked and edited by subject matter specialists, chosen for their expertise in the relevant youth policy area.

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education and skills report

Crafting curriculum and assessment for this generation and the next Spanning childhood and adolescence from birth to age 18, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) works with stakeholders to shape the curriculum for all children and young people in Ireland. NCCA’s Chair, Professor Mary O’Sullivan, outlines some of the work ahead, as the Council further extends and embeds inclusive, consultative processes in its work; supports the early childhood sector; consults on proposals for the future of the primary curriculum; and concludes an extensive review of senior cycle education.

Curriculum in the time of Covid

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Covid-19 has forced us all to reckon with and reassess what really matters in our societies and communities. The fallout from Covid-19 gave us space to collectively re-assert the centrality of education in the Irish psyche and the crucial role education plays in supporting how society functions on a daily basis. Teachers and practitioners, parents and policymakers, students and stakeholders were acutely aware of the impact of setting and school closures on all of our lives and particularly on the lives of children and young people.

Inequities which arguably always existed in education, and in society more broadly, came more sharply into focus and a collective desire to reopen schools and to tackle these inequities head on and with common purpose made itself known via the airwaves, on the news and in our homes.

The Council’s work in 2021 and beyond 90

is driven by this common sense of purpose, with a focus on developing and supporting inclusive curriculum and assessment practices. NCCA’s vision is to lead innovation in education for learning, living and working in a changing world. But how does this work take place?

Curriculum and assessment developments Established in 1984, NCCA became a statutory body in 2001 and now has almost four decades of experience under its idiomatic belt, advising the Minister for Education on all matters relating to curriculum and assessment.

The 25-member Council is appointed by the Minister for Education, with the majority nominated by school management, teacher unions, parent and industry representative organisations. The Council oversees the work of NCCA staff, boards and

development groups and plays a central role in shaping policy decisions in education.

Our wide brief makes the work challenging and hugely exciting. We have opportunities to build more and more connections between what and how children learn as they move from early childhood through primary and post-primary school and we must grasp these opportunities, keeping our minds open as we shape challenging, exciting and relevant learning experiences for current and future generations of children and young people.

NCCA works collaboratively with education professionals nominated by stakeholders, to develop curriculum and assessment frameworks and specifications. As advice to the Minister is developed, it draws on four key pillars: • cutting-edge research from across the globe is critically reviewed and

Research evidence, good practice and international experience informs the advice.

The advice is based on discussions and deliberations by Council and its boards and development groups.

extensive body of research, by working directly with schools and preschools, and through ongoing deliberations with the education partners.

Post-primary RE S E ARC H

The advice is shaped by feedback from consultations with the public, schools and early childhood settings, education interests and others.

debated as we observe and keep a watchful eye on international developments; • close attention is paid to what works as ideas about learning and teaching are developed, tried out, discussed and evaluated by and with children, young people, practitioners, teachers, parents and school leaders; • consultations encourage wide engagement with key ideas about curriculum and assessment change; and • extensive discussion and deliberation by the education partners takes place.

Feeding in, feeding back and feeding forward

Looking ahead, there is plenty of reason to be excited and proud of the learning experiences our children and young

Networks of schools and early childhood settings provide feedback on ideas and approaches under development, and provide practical examples.

people have access to across the early childhood, primary and post-primary stages of their educational journeys.

Early childhood NCCA launched Aistear, Ireland’s first ever curriculum framework for children from birth to six years, in 2009. This framework recognises the vital importance of early years to children’s cognitive, social and emotional development and we are committed to working with our partners in the early childhood sector over the coming years to update the research base underpinning Aistear and to further enhance the framework so it continues to meaningfully support our youngest children’s learning and development.

Primary What and how children learn in primary school is changing. Earlier this year, NCCA published a set of proposals for consultation on the future of the primary curriculum.

The current primary curriculum was launched 21 years ago and in the interim, there have been calls from schools, parents and policymakers for it to do more, including responding to societal changes.

Proposals for the future of the primary curriculum offer an important opportunity to reflect on the purpose of a primary curriculum, particularly when we think about today’s world and the years ahead. The proposals are shaped by an

Senior Cycle has also seen the introduction of revised and new curriculum specifications in a range of Leaving Certificate subjects including economics, art, politics and society, computer science and Mandarin Chinese.

NCCA’s Review of Senior Cycle which took place between 2017 and 2020, is nearing completion. The Council is finalising an advisory report on the review setting out areas of work to be pursued in the future redevelopment of senior cycle education.

NCCA work in other areas NCCA’s work in the years ahead also includes work on guidelines and materials for the curriculum for young people in detention and care settings; work with schools to gather examples of practice in Traveller culture and history; and developments to support schools’ work in Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE).

Whilst the work of NCCA is something I am rightly very proud of, continuity of learning across all education sectors and all areas of learning during this pandemic was the most crucial role of all, played by our frontline heroes, teachers, early years practitioners and school leaders. Without their passion, engagement and expertise, the vision for curriculum and assessment they help to craft would remain mere words on a page.

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NCCA’s work is highly consultative and deliberative and seeks to achieve praxis of research, policy and practice.

Ongoing engagement with children and young people to capture their voices and perspectives on their experiences in education, informs and shapes the work of the NCCA. The work also incorporates feedback loops, gathering the views of practitioners, teachers, school leaders and parents, before, during and after the process of curriculum development. This approach allows for changes to be made, where relevant, which help to clarify or enhance expectations for learning.

N E TWO R KS

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C O N S ULTATI ON S

D E LIB ER AT IO N S

A renewed Junior Cycle has seen the introduction of new curriculum specifications for all subjects and new curriculum components, such as short courses, as well as new approaches to assessment and reporting. Wellbeing was also introduced as a new area of learning within the Junior Cycle experience.

T: 01 661 7177 E: info@ncca.ie W: ncca.ie

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Capital projects in education The National Development Plan’s capital plan for education amounts to €11.9 billion between 2018 and 2027. Currently, there are 352 active large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme.

Of that €11.9 billion, €8.8 billion is for the schools sector, which includes €420 million for the Digital Strategy for Schools, and €2.2 billion is for the higher education infrastructure. The key drivers for capital investment in the schools sector, as outlined in a Minister’s briefing, are: a “bulge” in enrolments at post-primary level; the number of teachers increasing by 11,576 over the last eight years; the “ramping up” of housing provision placing more demand on schools; costs of sites for new schools in urban centres; and the need to catch up after decades of underinvestment.

Under the Department of Education’s school building programme, there are 373 large-scale projects in the pipeline, with a further 800 projects due for delivery under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme. As of the Department’s latest update, 352 large-scale projects are in progress in some form or another, ranging from pre-Stage 1, preliminary design, to “on site”. The update, published on 31 October 2020, says that 35 of these projects are currently on site. 14 schools are due to open in 2021, with a further two to open in 2022. One 92

school, a post-primary in Clonskeagh, Dublin 6W, is scheduled to open in 2020.

€1.2 billion has been invested in capital

Twenty-seven schools have been opened in temporary start-up accommodation, with the progress of their permanent sites typically marked as being in the site acquisition or design processes. Thirty-one of the projects are shaded green within the report, meaning that their status had seen some progress in the three months prior to the publication of the report. Of those 31, 11 are in County Dublin, with 18 in the Greater Dublin Region.

million allocated for investment in 2020,

Further information released by the Department shows that 463 projects have been completed between 2010 and the present day, with 45 of those coming in 2019 and two in 2020. The Minister’s briefing states that “while good progress continues to be made with the rollout of projects, the enhanced funding levels envisaged under the National Development Plan period 2018 to 2027 will be key to ensuring the successful delivery of the remaining elements of the pipeline of projects during the NDP period”.

On the impact of the pandemic on the

infrastructure under the school building programme since 2018, with €620 but how Covid-19 work stoppages have affected that investment remains to be seen. The briefing also notes that there were around 200 projects on site in March 2020 when all sites were ordered to be closed under Covid-19 restrictions, and “contact has been made to all contractors by the design team and contracts have to recommence work” since the reopening of sites in May 2020.

schools building programme, the briefing states that “it will take time to re-mobilise and see the impact” and that it “is too early to quantify exactly the impacts on projects”. “A clearer picture will emerge over the next few months as projects become fully remobilised and we gain an increased understanding of the operational impacts of implementing public health guidelines, in particular in relation to the social distancing rules,” it says.

r fo ry! te ia a D rd u yo

®

Infrastructure Ireland

Delivering on Ireland’s investment priorities

Thursday 25th March 2021 • Online conference

eolas is organising its annual Infrastructure Ireland® Conference, which has become well established as the major annual event for all those with a role or interest in the development and delivery of Ireland’s major infrastructure projects. This conference will provide an excellent opportunity to bring together the key stakeholders, both from across the public sector and those in the private sector working in advisory or service delivery roles. The conference will feature a keynote address from Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, who will set out how he will ensure priorities of the NDP will be achieved, in light of the unprecedented demands of Covid-19.

Sponsorship opportunities

There are a limited number of opportunities for interested organisations

Via an expert panel of speakers the conference will look at: •

Review to Renew: Priorities for investment

•

Supporting the delivery of major infrastructure projects

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Innovative collaborations between the public and private sector

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Ensuring resilient infrastructure systems

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The impact of Covid-19 on the construction sector

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Investment to drive growth and improve connectivity

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Crowdfunding as untapped potential for public sector financing

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Unlocking land for essential housing development

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Embracing disruptive technologies and data driven insights

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Investing in energy infrastructure as we transition to a low carbon future

way for organisations to raise their profile with a key audience of senior

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Future outlook and key legal issues for the PPP market

decision-makers from across Ireland’s public, private and voluntary

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The role of the private sector in delivering investment priorities

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Future outlook and delivering the next generation of infrastructure

to become involved with this conference as sponsors. This is an excellent

sectors. For further information on packages available and speaking opportunities at the event call Lynda Millar on 01 661 3755.

More information available soon!

E: info@eolasmagazine.ie T: +353 (0)1 661 3755