Minister confirms overhaul of Leaving Certificate

Education Minister Mary Hanifin to day confirmed plans to overhaul the Leaving Certificate to reduce the stress on students of the existing single exam in June.

Ms Hanafin confirmed a second exam would be held in each subject - on top of the June exam - which would account for up to a quarter of the total marks.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) welcomed the new proposals.

However, ASTI general secretary, John White, said it was crucial that the reforms preserved the confidence people had in the Leaving Cert.

“It's a highly respected examination nationally and internationally,” he said. "You can go to any examiner with a Leaving Cert and they broadly know what it is, so we do need to retain that public confidence in it."