Leaving Cert system may be overhauled

STUDENTS could be facing a three-year Leaving Certificate programme under a revised examination system being considered by Education Minister Noel Dempsey.

The minister is exploring ways of easing the pressure on students to cram their knowledge of most subjects into one written exam at the end of five or six years at second level.

One possibility is that the Leaving Cert could be extended from a two-year to a three-year programme.

The minister also suggested young people might undergo more continuous assessments, involving projects and written assignments submitted before the main papers are sat in June.

While there are no firm plans to undertake an official review, Mr Dempsey is eager to examine the issue in more detail next year.

A primary focus of any revamp would be to help more young people stay in school longer. While more than 61,000 students did the Junior Cert in 2000, there are only 54,000 candidates for Leaving Cert 2003, which gives an idea of the scale of the problem.

“There are about 19,500 pupils that don’t get to Leaving Cert, they drop out after primary school or Junior Cert. But they might benefit from a three-year Leaving Cert and that’s something we should consider,” Mr Dempsey said in a radio interview.

“We should also consider the whole question of continuous assessment in some form or another.”

The Union of Secondary Students (USS) said any consideration of a fairer examination system would be welcomed.

A wish-list they sent to Mr Dempsey last week included a request for an extension of time for written papers in some Leaving Cert subjects.

However, USS president Daire Hickey said any move towards a three-year programme should not be made at the expense of the transition year option.

“It offers a lot of lessons in life for young people, as well as helping them decide what subjects to take in the Leaving said Mr Hickey.

Around two-thirds of the country’s 750 schools offer the option of a transition programme to its students. More than 200,000 young people have completed a transition year since 1994.