Q&A: Why the reservations about calculated grades?

The Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU) has been advocating for students to have a choice between the written exams or an alternative like calculated grades. It says that students are facing terrible pressure due to the ongoing uncertainty.

Q: Why are we talking about calculated grades again? 

A: For the last week, the second-level teaching unions and the Department of Education have been engaging in confidential talks around the arrangements for this year's State exams. 

Norma Foley, the Minister for Education, announced two approaches will be developed: Written exams and a 'corresponding measure'. 

This corresponding measure and the form it will take was the focus of talks this week. However, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) pulled out of these talks on Thursday. 

It says the plans currently in development see the Leaving Cert "relegated", with calculated grades offered to students as the "premier" option. 

Q: Why are there reservations about calculated grades?

A: It is fair to say that mistakes were made with calculated grades, the alternative assessment model introduced last year when the written Leaving Cert exams were cancelled. 

As well as downgrading and grade inflation, there were also flaws in the process that led to almost 15,000 incorrect grades issued to students. 

These were discovered last October after many students had already taken up college places. An independent inquiry into these mistakes has not yet begun.

Students have also missed a lot more in-class time than last year's cohort, so there may less 'evidence' such as class tests or summer exams on which to base a calculated grade. 

However, many students were reporting feeling burnt out at the start of the school year, due to constant class tests so some schools may have been working on building up a bank of evidence in the event it would be needed. 

Also keep in mind the tradition we have in Ireland of teachers focusing on teaching students, and not assessing students. 

As students are graded anonymously through the traditional Leaving Cert, it's seen as fairer, and less open to bias. 

In turn, this means schools are less open to being accused of bias. From a teacher's point of view, the traditional Leaving Cert means its 'teachers and students versus the State exams', and not against each other. 

Separately, the High Court is currently considering a number of challenges against the Department of Education, of which the judgment could have knock-on effects. 

Q. Why did the teaching unions support calculated grades last year?

A. Both the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and the ASTI agreed to support calculated grades, as a once-off last year in recognition of the extraordinary emergency circumstances we found ourselves in due to the pandemic. 

There were still reservations, and they warned against setting a precedent.

It didn't go off without any hitches; before the process began, the ASTI directed members not to engage until a level of legal indemnity it was satisfied with was secured for teachers. 

Early on in the process last year, unions were also told that the ranking assigned to students by their teachers would not be revealed. However, students were allowed later legally to access this information. 

Both unions had been very vocal about their discomfort with students learning their class ranking. 

Q. What do students this year want? 

A. The Irish Second-Level Students Union (ISSU) has been advocating for students to have a choice between the written exams or an alternative like calculated grades. 

It says that students are facing terrible pressure due to the ongoing uncertainty. Keep in mind, Leaving Cert students have spent more than a quarter of their senior cycle learning remotely. 

Q. Does it have to be calculated grades or bust? 

A. Not necessarily. There are other options that could be agreed upon, for example a series of standardised assessments in class that could be graded independently by the State Exams Commission (SEC). 

It's important to keep in mind, the preference by many of the education partners seems to be in favour of holding the written exams if at all possible. But the longer students remain out of school, the more inequitable exams become. 

Realistically, even if the exams go ahead, there are students who will not be able to sit them if they have to isolate, or if there is an outbreak at their school. We don't know what the public health situation will be come exam time. 

Q. What about planning for back to school? 

A. Talks on school reopenings are running separately to talks about the State exams. The ASTI has said it will continue to engage with these. 

However, while the TUI said it is willing to look at returning Leaving Cert students to their classrooms from February 22, the ASTI has said the reopening framework is "inadequate".