Education Minister defends decision to boost Leaving Cert grades this year

Minister for Education Norma Foley: “They did not sit the Junior Cycle and they did have to deal considerably with remote teaching and learning.”  Photo: Domnick Walsh

The Minister for Education has defended the decision to boost Leaving Cert grades this year, but stopped short of confirming whether or not record grade inflation will be tackled next year.

Norma Foley said the decision to adjust thousands of results upwards was taken in the interest of fairness for the Class of 2023. Students receiving their exam results on Friday did not sit Junior Cycle exams due to the covid-19 pandemic, a factor which was an “enormously important consideration”, according to the minister.

The upwards adjustment was made by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) following a pledge by the minister to the students this year that their grades on average would be no lower than their peers in 2022.

However, speaking as exam results were released on Friday, the minister stopped short of making that same promise to the Class of 2024. “Next year's cohort will be adjudicated on challenges that they have,” she told reporters during a visit to Presentation Secondary School in Tralee.

Ms Foley is both a past pupil and a past teacher at the Co. Kerry school. The matter of Class of 2024 will be considered once appeals have been completed and done, she added.

The grade profile has been kept consistent with last year’s, Ms Foley said. “They did not sit the Junior Cycle and they did have to deal considerably with remote teaching and learning.” 

"Next year, students will be different, they will have a unique set of circumstances and we will look at each group of students and give them the due consideration that they require," she also told RTÉ on Friday.

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"Next year's group of students will not be similar to this year's group of students insofar as some of them, those who didn't do transition year, would have taken the Junior Cycle exam, they are not a mirror image.”

"We will take that into consideration. We take into consideration their remote teaching and learning, all of that." When asked when grade inflation would be stopped, Ms Foley said it is "an adjudication for the class of 2024.”

“When this year's paper has been completed in terms of those who go for appeals and all that, we will give consideration to what's required for the class of 2024.”

Ms Foley also denied that nothing had been done to tackle grade inflation, which remains stuck at an overall level of 7% across the board compared to before the pandemic.

“It is not accurate to say that we aren't moving towards a pre-covid exam type of situation, we are in actual fact. This year the papers were most similar to 2019."

Higher level subjects

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over a decline in the number of students opting for higher level maths at Leaving Cert. More than 20,500 Leaving Certificate students were awarded grades for the higher level maths paper, representing a 4% decrease when compared to 2022.

While participation in the higher level subject has increased over the past five years, this is the second year in a row it has fallen. 

Engineers Ireland also raised concerns at the number of students undertaking higher level subjects in other key Stem subject areas, including applied maths, physics and chemistry. 

"Maths and science knowledge are valuable aptitudes for future engineers," said director general of Engineers Ireland Damien Owens. 

"To support future growth within the sector and to meet government ambitions, we must continue to work in collaboration with industry and academia to support students to equip themselves with an adequate knowledge of STEM so they can pursue a future career in the sector.”