Education Policy Outlook 2021

Ireland

Figure 5.17. Selected indicators of education resilience in Ireland

Self-reports of students, teachers or principals by percentage

 

 

Note: The absence of a yellow diamond means that the data for Ireland was not available for the indicator.

Sources: OECD (2020_[1]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en; OECD (2020_[2]), "Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en; OECD (2019_[3]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en; OECD (2019_[4]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en; OECD (2019_[5]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en.

Statlink

Selected education policies for Ireland

National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2012)

►. Level of resilience: Broader learning environment

The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2012) has four broad strategic priorities: the professional development of all higher education teaching staff; teaching and learning in a digital world; teaching and learning within and across disciplines; and student success. The Forum supports projects relating to its strategic priorities through the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, involving partnerships both within and beyond the higher education sector. According to a review from 2017, one of the key roles played by the National Forum has been to strengthen pre-existing teaching and learning networks and promote collaboration across disciplines. The Forum’s representative governance structure is also identified as having a positive impact by promoting the sharing of knowledge and opinions between different stakeholder groups, including staff, students and institutions. The review points to a need to include stakeholders from beyond the higher education sector, such as employers and other social partners. This will be important in ensuring that teaching and learning in higher education meets the needs of the knowledge economy. Ireland is considering relocating the National Forum under the aegis of the Higher Education Authority to support stakeholder engagement and ensure longer-term sustainability and accountability.

After institutional closures in 2020, the National Forum carried out a feedback exercise involving higher education institutions (HEIs) and student organisations to support institutions in their preparations for 2020/21. This led to a report summarising key insights that drew on national and international evidence, and identifying key practices to maintain in the new semester. In November 2020, the government announced EUR 5 million in funding to support HEIs to embed these practices. The National Forum and the Higher Education Authority work alongside HEIs to optimise the potential of the fund (O’Shea, 2020_[6]).

Further reading: Henard, F. (2017_[7]), Review of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2017/04/Review-of-the-National-Forum-for-the-Enhancement-of-Teaching-and-Learning-2.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021).

Future FET: Transforming Learning (2020 - 2024)

►. Level of resilience: System

Ireland’s latest National Further Education and Training (FET) Strategy (Future FET: Transforming Learning 2020) has three key pillars: building skills, fostering inclusion, and creating pathways. The Strategy aims to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic at the same time as responding to long-term shifts in the profile of learners and the demand for labour and skills. Measures include the Skills to Compete initiative, to upskill and reskill those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Participants can access new Level 4-6 (upper-secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and short-cycle tertiary) VET courses in sectors of future demand and receive tailored support and advice. To foster inclusion, the Strategy targets priority cohorts (e.g. people with disabilities, new migrants, Travellers, or the long-term unemployed). Other measures aim to make VET more attractive to school leavers, for example, by offering VET taster courses to secondary-school students, and improving transitions from VET to higher education. The targets of the Strategy will be reflected in the next set of strategic performance agreements between SOLAS (An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna, Ireland’s FET Authority) and the 16 regional Education and Training Boards.

Further reading: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (2020_[8]), Future FET: Transforming Learning, https://www.solas.ie/f/70398/x/64d0718c9e/solas_fet_strategy_web.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021).

References

Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (2020), Future FET: Transforming Learning, https://www.solas.ie/f/70398/x/64d0718c9e/solas_fet_strategy_web.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [8]

Henard, F. (2017), Review of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2017/04/Review-of-the-National-Forum-for-the-Enhancement-of-Teaching-and-Learning-2.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [7]

OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]

OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]

OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]

OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]

OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]

O’Shea, M. (2020), Minister Harris Announces €5 million COVID-19 fund for teaching and learning reforms, https://hea.ie/2020/11/09/minister-harris-announces-e5-million-covid-19-fund-for-teaching-and-learning-reforms/ (accessed on 1 April 2021). [6]