Norma Foley: Definitive date for Junior Cycle results to be announced next week

Norma Foley told the Oireachtas education committee on Wednesday that a date for when students will receive their results will be released by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) next week. Picture: Collins Photos

A definitive date for when students will receive their Junior Cycle results this year will be announced next week, the Education Minister has confirmed.

Norma Foley told the Oireachtas education committee on Wednesday that a date for when students will receive their results will be released by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) next week.

A number of significant issues have impacted the delivery and marking of exams this year, delaying the results.

In response to a question from Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe, Ms Foley said there were two sittings of the exams this summer, as well as the appeals process. There have also been some challenges in attracting sufficient correctors, she added.

“I want to acknowledge the frustration of students, I know their eagerness to get their results.” The SEC will formally announce a date next week, she told the committee. 

A spokesman for the SEC previously told the Irish Examiner it has been engaged in the planning and delivery of the exams across the Leaving Cert, Leaving Cert Applied, and Junior Cycle since details of the arrangements for the 2022 exams were announced in February.

“This was a significant undertaking in the current year considering the ongoing effects of Covid-19."

Some 131,000 candidates entered to sit the examinations this year, an increase of 7,000 compared to the last time a full set of examinations was run in 2019.

“The requirement for increased numbers of examiners across all subjects, especially at Junior Cycle, has been especially challenging in the current year," the spokesman said.