Foley: Calculated grades process will treat students 'fairly and equitably'

Education Minister Norma Foley has been urged to go before the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee. File picture: Niall Carson/PA

Education Minister Norma Foley has reiterated her assurances that the Leaving Cert calculated grades process will treat students “fairly and equitably” following controversy over the standardisation model used on the A-Levels.

Ms Foley made her statement after England, Wales, and the North scrapped the algorithm applied to teacher estimations, which were used instead of final exams that were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Almost 40% of A-Level results in England were downgraded from the scores estimated by teachers, with students in disadvantaged schools more likely to have their results lowered by the algorithm, which was designed by exam regulator Ofqual. 

A school's previous performance in each subject over the previous three years was a key element of this algorithm. 

Last week, Scotland also reverted to using teachers’ scores after it emerged that almost 125,000 results were downgraded.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said that the processing of calculated grades is continuing.

“Minister Foley is aware of the developments that have taken place [on Monday] and over recent days in the UK in respect of calculated A-Levels, and has reiterated her commitment to ensuring that the calculated grades system that is being developed and implemented in Ireland will treat students fairly and equitably,” said the spokesman.

She has ensured that the process has been given adequate time, and the full details of the process will be published when students receive their results, he added.

Unlike the UK systems, the calculated grades office collected individual estimated percentage marks, not estimated grades, for students. This gives the Irish system more “detailed information” about students for use in the process, he added.

In addition, Minister Foley noted that unlike Scotland, Irish students retained the right to sit the written Leaving Certificate examinations later in the year.

Meanwhile, the department has been "found wanting" with an "absence of leadership" amid calls for the minister to appear before the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee.

With schools set to reopen from next week, Ms Foley has been called on to appear before the committee next week. 

There is a heightened sense of anxiety among teachers and parents, said Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour's education spokesman. This was made worse last week when Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it was "almost inevitable" there will be clusters when schools reopen.

"Somebody should be available to answer questions," said Mr Ó Ríordáin. 

In a statement, the Department of Education said the minister "remains confident that schools can fully reopen at the end of the summer and she has no issue with addressing any questions in relation to this."