Leaving Cert announcement could be made today but Junior Cert facing cancellation

A potential announcement on this year's Leaving Certificate could be made as early as today, but it is feared the Junior Certificate may have to be cancelled for another year.

A potential announcement on this year's Leaving Certificate could be made as early as today, but it is feared the Junior Certificate may have to be cancelled for another year.

Last night, the Teacher's Union of Ireland, which is involved in talks on the Leaving Certificate, said it had been advised that, based on public health advice, "it will not be possible logistically to hold the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate exams in tandem in June in the normal manner".

It said that therefore it is of the view the junior cycle exams cannot proceed this year "and is calling on the minister to confirm this to students, teachers and parents".

The union said teachers successfully implemented alternative assessment arrangements for Junior Cert students last year. 

"The TUI believes that a similar measure must be introduced for 2021 and announced immediately," it said.

Chaos at Cabinet

Meanwhile, there was considerable chaos at the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday over plans to reopen all schools.

As the meeting was underway, ministers were confronted with media reports on their phones about a plan to reopen schools on March 1, which in fact had not been discussed.

Ministers present pressed the Education Minister Norma Foley about how such information was in the media. Some present said Micheál Martin was “taken aback” at the suggested plan when clearly no such plan existed.

Minister for Education Norma Foley was pressed at Cabinet about how information was leaked to the media.

Ms Foley is due to update the Cabinet sub-committee on education on the matter today.

One minister said the media outlets were reporting the story as if it had happened but that "nothing had been said by Norma". 

"When she did speak, nothing of what was reported to have happened occurred,” the minister added. 

"We did not discuss it. There was no plan. We were all a bit shocked. Norma, who is a good minister, said she had no idea where such briefings to several media outlets would have come from."

Phased return

Any phased return of schools will begin with the Leaving Cert students as an immediate priority, then junior and senior infants.

There will be a Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee meeting tomorrow with an update from NPHET "which may help inform discussions on the phased return of schools".

Meanwhile, an expected decision on the new laws governing the use of hotels to quarantine air passengers failed to materialise last night amid disagreement at Cabinet.