Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley and Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan have launched the National Conversation on Education.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape Ireland’s education system for decades to come.
The outcomes of the National Conversation on Education will be used to inform the agenda for the Convention on Education which will take place later this year. The Convention in turn, will inform a new long-term strategy for the future of education in Ireland.
The National Conversation on Education will commence on14 January 2026 and the public are being invited to participate in a number of ways. These include:
- Completing the survey online here
- Making a submission on behalf of an individual or an organisation here
- Hosting their own conversations in their schools, youth settings and organisations
The survey and submissions process will remain open until 28 February 2026.
In addition to this, school community engagement events and regional events will take place across the country, inviting deeper discussion on how we might shape the future of education in Ireland.
A separate survey from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality will launch in February, and will inform a new action plan to build an affordable, accessible and high quality early learning and care system and the successor to the First 5 Strategy for Early Childhood.
The views of participants in all parts of the National Conversation will help to identify the themes for the Convention on Education. The conversation will give everyone a chance to discuss what should change, what should remain the same, what should be prioritised, and how education can help all children and young people thrive into the future.
