The Department of Education is about to enter an unprecedented period of change with a range of its functions being hived off to other bodies, its leading civil servant said last night.
Mr John Dennehy, secretary-general of the Department, said responsibility for exams, special needs and the institutes of technology would pass to others in the future. This would allow the Department to concentrate on key areas of policy instead.
"Arising from these measures, there will be a greater focus on core functions, with particular emphasis on policy and strategic planning," he said.
He was delivering the Philip Monaghan Memorial lecture at UCC.
Mr Dennehy said the outsourcing of exams to a new commission would take considerable strain off the Department.
"The commission will be a body independent of the Department and will be established under the terms of the Education Act, 1998. It will have overall responsibility for the certificate examinations within the general policy framework set by the Minister. Its work will include administering examinations, ensuring best practice and advising the Minister as required," he said.
He said exams placed a huge burden on the Department, and without that function, it could evaluate the performance of the system much better.
"We are fully committed to developing a stronger planning capacity, including the analysis of available data and indicators of performance of Irish education in both a national and an international setting, to underpin national policy formation."
Mr Dennehy said continued investment was needed in education if the economy was not to decline.
"As a small, open economy, competitiveness is the key to our economic growth and stability. Our ability to attract and retain foreign direct investment, in particular, relies not only on our infrastructural, industrial and taxation policies, but crucially, on the quality of education and research and development in this country," he said.
A recent report by academic Prof Malcolm Skillbeck pointed the way at third level.
He said this report suggested new sources of revenue needed to be tapped by third level institutions.