'It's really demotivating': Students campaign to change new Junior Cycle grading system

Under the new scoring system, students just see the grade they receive, and do not know whether they scored at the higher or lower end of the bracket. File picture: Denis Minihane

Students campaigning for changes say the new Junior Cycle scoring system, which replaces the traditional A, B, C, and D grades with distinctions and merits, is demotivating and disheartening.

Transition year students at Coláiste Bhríde in Carnew, Co Wicklow, have launched a national campaign to change the new Junior Cycle grading bands, while highlighting the impact on students and teachers.

Since starting its rollout in 2017, reforms of the Junior Cycle have introduced merits (55% to 74%), higher merits (75% to less than 90%) and distinctions (90% and above).

However, these grading brackets are too broad, according to students Sarah Jennings and Phoebe Doyle, who are leading their school’s ‘Change the Band’ project for Young Social Innovators (YSI).

“When we got our Junior Cycle results back in October, we saw some of our peers that worked really hard didn’t get the results they deserved,” said Sarah.

It was really demotivating to us, our school and our class. If you are working hard for a grade, and then you don’t get the grade you deserve, it can be really deflating.

The ‘Change the Band’ campaign has three aims, according to Phoebe.

“Our aims are [for students] to get access to our percentages, to add in some other grade brackets where the merit is currently. A merit is 55% to 74% and 98% of teachers that we surveyed said that range is way too broad.”

Many students want access to their exam scripts and the percentage they received, Sarah added. Currently, students just see the grade they receive, and do not know whether they scored at the higher or lower end of the bracket. 

In all fairness, if you are getting 55% or 74% in a subject, they are two completely different grades. It's the difference between higher and ordinary level.

The student’s project found a strong level of dissatisfaction among teachers they surveyed, particularly about the merit band, according to Karen Murphy, a teacher at Coláiste Bhríde.

They also believe it is impacting on students’ Leaving Cert choices and not widely understood by parents.

“Students do not get access to their percentages so they actually have no idea what they scored. In the merit bracket, they could have got 55% in a subject, or they could have got 74%. How are they supposed to make decisions about Senior Cycle when they don’t know what they got in Junior Cycle?

“It doesn’t allow students to make informed decisions about their education.”

The group plans to bring the 'Change the Band' campaign to the Dáil in March to highlight its dissatisfaction with the system, and will write to the new Education Minister Helen McEntee with its concerns.