Education Minister unable to say if Leaving Cert will go ahead

Minister for Education Norma Foley has refused to say when she will make a decision on the State exams. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews.ie

The Education Minister still cannot say whether the traditional Leaving Certificate exams will go ahead this year.

Norma Foley has refused to say when she will make a decision on the state exams, but said she will be taking a "considered and measured approach" to "competing voices, offering different views".

As schools remain closed, concerns have been raised around the possibility of holding the exams this summer.

We're considering  what's happening in other jurisdictions, we're considering our own experience, for example in November of last year.

Ms Foley acknowledged the stress and uncertainty that students are dealing with.

She said some students want the traditional Leaving Cert to go ahead, others believe predicted grades should be used again this year, while another group believe a hybrid model should be adopted.

"All of this is being considered," Ms Foley said.

"We're considering  what's happening in other jurisdictions, we're considering our own experience, for example in November of last year we very successfully ran the Leaving Certificate — a full Leaving Cert on the back of very strong public health advice, there was huge, huge learning there and that gives us confidence as well to put that into the mix."

Ms Foley said considerable planning has already gone into Leaving Certificate 2021 and adjustments have been made to exam papers.

"In our contingency planning significant latitude was given in our planning so that we could accommodate, for example, the change in deadlines for coursework should we need to do that, we had to do that this week," she told Newstalk Breakfast.

"There's a number of disparate and varied voices within the students' voice and parents and teachers as regards options to pursue."

She added that these voices are being listened to.

The minister said  the Advisory Group on the Leaving Cert — which is made up of student representatives, parents groups, school management bodies, and teachers — will meet in the coming weeks “to consider everything on the table.” 

The issue of the vaccine rollout would also have to be considered, she said, before a decision could be made on whether a “traditional” Leaving Cert could go ahead.