Minister confirms students to sit traditional Leaving Cert exams
Minister Foley said that the exams will be "structured in a familiar way, but with more choice and a reduction in the number of questions to be answered." Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
The Leaving Cert exams will go ahead in the traditional format in June 2022, the Government has confirmed today.
Education Minister Norma Foley said although the exams will revert back to the traditional style, they would be "radically different" from students' experiences in previous years 2019/2018 because there will now be a "considerable" choice on the paper and less content prepared to be studied.
In maths, for example, students will have six topics, rather than 10.
In English, higher-level paper two will be reduced from three sections to two. Changes to practical and oral exams will also be implemented, "tailor-made" to the circumstances students faced over the last two years.
Ms Foley said that a number of options had been examined around accredited grades but it was not possible to repeat the same processes as last year.
"We did look at that and we are not in a position to provide for accredited grades as we were last year," she said.
"That is largely due to the fact that one in four in 2022 did not sit a junior cycle exam through no fault of their own, it is relevant because in the accredited grade system the teacher provides an estimated mark because they will know their student, but not necessarily another student's capability.
"There has to be standardisation and last year we relied on students' own data, junior data, but 25% of students this year do not have that data so we would not be in the position to provide accredited grades in a system that was as fair as last years."
Ms Foley said it was her understanding that no other EU jurisdiction was contemplating calculated grades at this point.
Under the updated plan, an alternative set of exams will be held shortly after the main exams in June.
These papers will be limited to certain categories of students, such as those who experience a close family bereavement, Covid-19 illness and certain other categories of serious illness, during the first examination period.
Minister Foley acknowledged that students had raised concerns over the potential disadvantage the class of 2022 would face when compared to the class of 2021 in terms of grade inflation.
“The Leaving Certificate class of 2022 has experienced significant disruption to their learning and their school experience," she said.
"In light of this, following extensive engagement with the advisory group on planning for state examinations, I can confirm this plan for significant changes to the examinations, which takes account of the experiences of students during the pandemic and will provide the best possible pathway for this year’s Leaving Certificate students.
"To alleviate this concern, I have asked the SEC to put in place measures to ensure that the overall set of results in the aggregate for this year will be no lower than last year," she said.
The decision has been criticised, however, with Labour's education spokesperson Aodhán Ó Ríordáin saying the decision to revert to the traditional leaving cert is a "missed opportunity for the delivery of education in this country".
Social Democrats Education Spokesperson Gary Gannon said that this year is not a normal year so students should not have a normal Leaving Cert.
“This year’s Leaving Cert students have suffered two years of upheaval and chaos because of Covid. There have been lengthy school closures and persistent absences, of both students and teachers, due to illness caused by Covid and the requirement to self-isolate," he said.
"We must also acknowledge the incredible stress, and anxiety, that students have been under as a consequence of Covid."
The Junior Cycle examinations will run in June as normal for the first time since 2019.
Adjustments to the assessment arrangements for Junior Cycle have been made and advised in August 2021, including a reduction in the number of classroom-based assessments to be completed, the removal of the requirement to complete assessment tasks and adjustments to the requirements in coursework and practical performance tests.
These adjustments provide for more teaching time in schools.
The timetable for the written Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations in June will be published by the State Examinations Commission in the coming days.
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