Revamped Junior Cert less about final exam

THE designers of a replacement for the Junior Certificate wanted to move away from the way in which it had become a “dress-rehearsal” for the Leaving Certificate instead of focusing on the learning outcomes for children aged 12 to 15.

Extensive research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) confirmed long-held beliefs on the junior cycle, showing that first year is mostly about settling in and third year is dominated by the exams.

Most surprising, however, was the level to which the experience of participants in a study of more than 900 children at 12 schools pivoted on what happens in second year.