9.1 Introduction

9.1 Introduction

Over the period to which this report refers, the Department made major investments in the education sector to improve outcomes for children and young people, to break cycles of disadvantage, to support teachers, and to ensure continuous improvement in schools. This chapter describes key Department initiatives that are linked to the following national priority areas for primary and post-primary education: child protection, Gaeltacht education, Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), digital learning, creativity, education for sustainable development, modern foreign languages and wellbeing, all of which became a particular focus in education during the period September 2016 to December 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted on their implementation during 2020; some were prioritised while others were delayed. This chapter presents a summary of key findings in relation to these priority areas, especially as they relate to primary and post-primary education. In instances where their implementation was delayed, it has not been feasible to evaluate their outcomes as yet.