asked the Minister for Education the reason for the refusal to allow first year post intermediate certificate students to repeat the year.
Written Answers. - Post-Intermediate Certificate Students.
55.
Circular letter M85/85, which issued to post-primary schools in October, 1985, introduced the requirement that, with effect from the beginning of the 1986-87 school year, the leaving certificate course be of two years' duration in all schools.
That circular went on to say that "in so far as the Senior Cycle is concerned practices that result in a de facto three-year Leaving Certificate course will not be accepted e.g. having a repeat first year or having a two-year course to Ordinary Level followed by a third year at Higher Level or any other such arrangement”.
This removed the anomaly that existed at senior cycle up until then whereby some schools offered a three year course while the vast majority of schools offered a two year course to the Leaving Certificate examination.