Foley to set out post-Covid education ambitions to principals

Minister for Education Norma Foley will outline post-Covid education plans with school leaders at the National Principals and Deputy Principals  annual conference. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Minister for Education will set out her ambitions for Irish post-primary education after the pandemic as part of round table discussions with school leaders on Wednesday.

Norma Foley will discuss the experiences of the past year as well as the opportunity for senior cycle reform and digital strategies at the National Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) annual conference. 

The two-day event will see 700 secondary school leaders come together, online, to discuss the future of the Irish education system in a post-pandemic world.

The conference comes at a time of unprecedented circumstances for our education system where school communities have gone above and beyond to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, according to Michael Cregan, NAPD president. 

“The pandemic has brought many challenges for post-primary, however, we must also consider the many positives. The NAPD is committed to seizing the lessons learned this past year and will work with all stakeholders to make an improved education system a reality. 

"It is a disservice to our young people and the hard work of our school communities to describe recent remote learning periods as 'missed opportunities' for learning," he added. 

Through necessity and exposure, students have developed and demonstrated empathy, resilience, and independence beyond their years. These are important life skills to take forward into their adult and working lives."

“The NAPD has long advocated for senior cycle reform, according to Mr Cregan. "It is with this 'different learning' in mind that we must now reform our examination models to take account of each students true, holistic, development." 

Education experts

A series of internationally renowned education experts will also speak at the two-day conference.

Professor Pete Lunn, head of the Behavioural Research Unit at the ESRI is a keynote speaker at the National Principals and Deputy Principals annual conference. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

John Hattie, director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute, will speak about the approach to supporting students who have missed out on in-classroom learning for extended periods of time due to the pandemic. The Australian-based academic will outline how school communities must develop a mindset of “different learning” as opposed to that “missed”.

Andy Hargreaves, the former president of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, will also speak about the need to address digital inequality in developing learning pathways for students for the future. 

The Canadian policy adviser will discuss evolving education tools and assessment models as well as the advantages of outdoor learning.

Keynote speakers

Other keynote speakers include Pete Lunn of the ESRI, who will speak about minimising risk and maximising wellbeing, as well as Selina McCoy, also of the ESRI, who will speak about student engagement and disengagement during the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, students who are studying subjects outside of school, or who are studying entirely outside of school, for Leaving Certificate 2021 and who want to receive accredited grades in those subjects are reminded to return their initial information forms by Thursday, April 22. This form is available at gov.ie/leavingcertificate.