I will reiterate clearly from the outset that both the international and national evidence to date is clear that schools by their nature are safe environments. There is also an absolute recognition that the resources and measures required as part of the roadmap for the safe reopening of our schools have been put in place. I absolutely acknowledge a huge debt of gratitude is owed to the school communities in ensuring those measures are being implemented. All the expert advice available to us at the minute reiterates…

I acknowledge there are individual circumstances. I am not aware of the individual circumstances of the case referenced by the Deputy. I appreciate that there is anxiety and anxiousness around Covid-19 but I reiterate that everything we are doing in our schools is underpinned by the best public health advice available to us. I reiterate also that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidelines on the safe return to school, particularly for children who may have family members designa…

I reiterate that I appreciate the very valuable contribution made by school secretaries and other support staff in the school environment. I have witnessed it and I am very conscious of it. I have met with Fórsa, which represents many of the secretaries working in schools. In recognition of the school secretary role, I have put in place special arrangements for the coming school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of co…

Yesterday's budget was the first of this new Government and it demonstrates clearly our commitment to and our support for schools, and especially our students. With this significant new investment, we will continue to improve the experience of our children in education and provide improved practical supports in light of Covid-19. I am particularly pleased to announce that I have secured funding in the budget to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio and class sizes. More teachers and special needs assistants will be recrui…

Táim buíochas, a Chathaoirligh, as an deis a bheith anseo inniu. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to be here today. A great deal has happened since my last appearance here both for the country as a whole in terms of the move to level 3 of the Plan for Living with Covid-19 earlier this week, as well as for students who availed of calculated grades, some of whom received increased grades during last weekend. In the interim I also brought proposals to Government during that time on school transport which …

My opening remarks allowed me the opportunity to again acknowledge issues that occurred in the calculated grades system and to apologise for those errors and the impact they had, especially on the class of 2020. They must be foremost at all stages in our considerations. This follows the announcement I made on Saturday but, importantly, the Senators have acknowledged, and I appreciate it, the fact that when the errors occurred swift action was taken to quantify the issues and take the remedial steps necessary to ens…

I thank the Deputy. I am keenly aware of the vital role contributed by school secretaries in our school communities. I absolutely recognise the very important work carried out by these staff and other support staff in the running of our schools. I have met Fórsa, which represents many of the secretaries working in our schools. In recognition of their valuable role in our schools I have put in place special arrangements for the coming year, whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretake…

Officials in the Department of Education and Skills have engaged with Fórsa throughout this process and remain committed to the ongoing process taking place under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. It is disappointing that in circumstances where talks are actually ongoing, the union has moved to industrial action, which will impact on the day-to-day operation of schools at this most critical time. On the matter of the Labour Court referral raised at the recent Workplace Relations Commission meeting…

I am grateful to the Business Committee for scheduling this opportunity and this session so quickly. Yesterday was a very difficult day for the leaving certificate class of 2020. The announcement that was made has inevitably generated much anxiety and worry for them. While the announcement yesterday was important, we could not provide all of the answers to their questions at that time. I apologise sincerely once again to the leaving certificate class of 2020 for what has happened. Deputies will be aware that two er…

The Deputy asked when the information was disseminated. As he is aware, the anomaly was first discovered on Tuesday of last week and the calculated grades office was informed. All that the office was informed of at that stage was that there was an anomaly. It was worked on through the night and on Wednesday morning an official of the Department was informed by the calculated grades office and the Secretary General was informed in the morning. I was then informed on Wednesday afternoon. At that point, what we knew w…

It is my understanding that Dr. Kentaro Yamamoto is a retired individual. ETS is a not-for-profit company with more than 1,000 employees. The doctor worked with that company at one stage but is a retired individual.

It is my understanding that before any decision was taken to postpone the State examinations, Polymetrika had been engaged by the State Examinations Commission to advise on calculated grades. That was part of the State Examinations Commission's contingency plans. The decision to postpone the examinations was taken by the then Minister on 8 May and calculated grades was the process with which it was chosen to move forward. In order for the calculated grade model to be of value to students, it was known that results …

I confirm that it is my understanding that, on that basis, it was agreed in May that the Department would avail of the procurement process known as the negotiated procedure without prior publication. This is used in circumstances-----

-----where there is a cause of extreme urgency.

To clarify, the seriousness of the situation is not in any way underestimated. I would say to the Deputy that at all points I acknowledge that the primacy and principle in the situation is and has always been the students and their best interests. In terms of not getting the basic detail right, in an ideal world there would be no mistakes and no errors. We do not live in an ideal world. Therefore, mistakes and errors can occur. It is very important that when an error occurs or a mistake is made, every possible proa…

I acknowledge - the Deputy has referred to the whole calculated grades process - that many people had principled objections to it and voiced those, including many teachers, and they put these to one side in what was an extraordinary time when there was a need to introduce an extraordinary measure because of the pandemic. I salute the teachers who made it possible and put aside their objections and did it in the best interests of their students. I fully accept what the Deputy is saying in that regard. I am conscious…

On Polymetrika, as the Deputy is aware and as I said earlier, the decision was taken in April to postpone the leaving certificate examinations until July, followed rather quickly on 8 May by the decision by the then Minister to move towards calculated grades. Prior to that, contingency planning was being undertaken as to what might happen if the Minister had to make the decision at that time. It is important to point out, in reference to previous points the Deputy made about the difficulties and issues around calcu…

It is my understanding that the then Minister signed off on the calculated grades process on 8 May. The exact time and date of the signing of a contract with Polymetrika is not available to me at this point in time. The Deputy will appreciate that it was some considerable time ago but I will make every effort to furnish that to him should he require it. I will ask my Department to do that. In respect of the aspects he has raised, I am not a statistician or an expert in any aspect of psychometrics but the Deputy men…

As I said previously, it is difficult to know the finite number of students until all the checks, reviews and balances have been put in place. In terms of the students the Deputy has referenced who will go up by at least one grade, we estimate at this point that we are talking about approximately 6,500. That is an estimate at this stage. I can only estimate that, when students' grades go up, we are perhaps talking about a similar number but, again, I am not a statistician and I would not have that information fully…

I cannot say that definitively but I am going to assume that if the estimate is that that number will go up by one grade, there is every chance that we might be talking about a similar number. When the absolute figures become available they will be made available to the Deputy, the general public and, most importantly, to the students.