The National Conversation on Education was officially launched today by Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, and Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Michael Moynihan, marking the start of a once-in-a-generation public dialogue on the future of Ireland’s education system.
Beginning on 14 January 2026, the National Conversation invites children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape education policy for decades to come. The views gathered through this process will inform the agenda for a Convention on Education to be held later this year, which will in turn guide the development of a new long-term national strategy for education. The outcomes will also contribute to a new action plan for early learning and care, including the successor to the First 5 Strategy for Early Childhood.
Members of the public are being encouraged to participate through an online survey, by making individual or organisational submissions, and by hosting conversations within schools, youth settings and community organisations. The consultation process will remain open until 28 February 2026. In addition, school community engagement events and regional discussions will be held nationwide to enable deeper reflection on how Ireland’s education system should evolve.
A separate consultation led by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality will begin in February and will focus specifically on early learning and care and school-age childcare. Its findings will inform a new action plan aimed at building an affordable, accessible and high-quality system as a core part of Ireland’s broader education framework.
The National Conversation is designed to help identify the key themes for the Convention on Education and to give people the opportunity to reflect on what should change, what should be preserved and what should be prioritised. It also seeks to explore how education can best support all children and young people to thrive in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.
Launching the initiative, Minister Naughton highlighted the central role education has played in Ireland’s social, cultural and economic success. She noted that around one million children attend schools across the country each day, supported by teachers, special needs assistants and school staff who help prepare them for further education, training and employment. She said the quality of Ireland’s education system has enabled the country to adapt and prosper through major global shifts, including globalisation, pandemics, Brexit and the digital revolution.
Minister Naughton also pointed to the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence as a defining challenge for the next phase of education reform. She said the education system must equip young people with the skills needed to adapt and succeed in a world shaped by constant technological and social change. The Convention on Education, she added, represents a unique opportunity for society to come together to ensure future generations are prepared for life beyond school.
Minister Foley welcomed the launch of the National Conversation, describing education as a cornerstone of Ireland’s progress. She stressed that the consultation must reflect the full lifecycle of learning, from early childhood through primary, post-primary, further and higher education and into adulthood. As part of the process, her department will lead a wide-ranging consultation on the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare, seeking input from families, educators, providers and communities across the country.
Minister Moynihan emphasised that Ireland’s education system is likely to undergo significant change over the next 25 years, particularly in relation to diversity, inclusion and support for learners with additional needs. He underlined the importance of hearing from as many voices as possible, especially parents and organisations working with children with additional needs, to ensure the system is equipped to respond to evolving demands.
Together, the ministers encouraged broad public participation in the National Conversation on Education, describing it as a vital step in shaping an inclusive, forward-looking education system that can meet the needs of future generations.
