Written Answers Nos. 434-453
434. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 596 of 14 July 2020, if her attention has been drawn to a further request submitted subsequently to the application for further funding due to serious health and safety issues at the school; if the subsequent request is being considered; if so, her views on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18005/20]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that, in relation to the project which was the subject matter of my previous response and to which he refers, my Department has checked its records and has not received any correspondence from the school subsequent to the response already provided.
I am aware that a separate application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme has been received from the school in question. This application has been refused on the basis that it does not fall within the scope of the scheme. However, the school has been informed that consideration will be given to a reduced scope of works to address the issues if the school wishes to submit a revised application on that basis.
435. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason students that have been home-schooled or that have studied a subject outside of school are being excluded from the predicted grades leaving certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18100/20]
View answerA system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations this year. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
For the calculated grades system to be operated with integrity, an estimated percentage mark, based on credible, satisfactory evidence, can only be accepted from an appropriate source. This is necessary to ensure fairness to all students.
The Calculated Grades Executive Office in my Department developed a comprehensive guide to calculated grades for out-of-school learners – those students who are studying entirely outside of school – and contacted each student individually on 25 June to invite them to apply for calculated grades. The closing date for applications was Thursday 2 July 2020 and applications are now being processed.
In cases where a student who is attending school, but who is studying one or more subjects outside of school, school principals were asked to make every effort to provide an estimated mark for that subject(s) provided there was sufficient, credible evidence available from an appropriate source. If the principal was unable to provide an estimated mark for any student they were asked to notify the Calculated Grades Executive Office of my Department.
As part of its commitment to ensure that a calculated grade is provided to as many students as possible, the CGEO are currently undertaking a review of these reports with the schools involved to ensure that the correct procedures were followed.
Despite every effort being made by schools and by the Department of Education, to provide calculated grades to as many students as possible, there will be a small number of cases where there is no credible evidence to support a calculated grade in a particular subject. To attempt to give a calculated grade in such cases would be unfair to all other candidates.
Such students will have an opportunity to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations when it is safe to do so.
No decisions have been issued by the Calculated Grades Executive Office in respect of any of students studying independently, to date.
My Department has continued to engage with third level stakeholders regarding the Calculated Grades process for students seeking to progress to Higher Education.
This has resulted in an agreed common approach in relation to students who have not been able to obtain calculated grades in one or more subjects. Students who have applied for a calculated grade, with a view to satisfying matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements and for whom the Department has been unable to award a Calculated Grade in the subject(s), will be granted an exemption in the subject(s) solely for matriculation/basic minimum entry purposes. The CGEO will notify the Central Applications Office (CAO) of any student who cannot be provided with calculated grades, and of the subjects involved, and the exemption from matriculation/basic minimum entry will be granted automatically by the CAO. The subject(s) for which exemption is granted will not attract points and the exemption cannot be used to satisfy additional programme requirements over and above the matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements.
436. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if correspondence from a school (details supplied) will receive a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18134/20]
View answerI wish to advise that my Department is in active discussion with An Foras Pátrúnachta in relation to a proposal for a Gaelcholáiste under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta to also have a campus in County Louth. The parties are assessing options in Dundalk for the upcoming school year. All parties are conscious of the short timeframe to the start of the school year and I wish to advise that every effort is being made to expedite this assessment. A response will issue to correspondence received in this regard.
437. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an additional teacher will be appointed to a school (details supplied) in view of the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18142/20]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location.
The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The school referred to by the Deputy will be advised in due course of the outcome of the staffing appeal.
438. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the shorter school day for junior infants (details supplied) will be re-examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18144/20]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Circular 11/95 “Time in School” paragraph 3 states that a typical school day for Junior classes is 4 hours and 40 minutes and Senior classes 5 hours and 40 minutes with appropriate recreation i.e. 30 minutes.
Children in infant classes may have a school day that is one hour shorter than the length of the normal school day. This is a concession in the interests of young children and allows for a perceived inability on their part to sustain the work of the full day. The decision to apply this concession rests with the Board of Management. Such decisions should be dictated by the educational interests of the children.
There is a focus in the documentation on welcoming junior infants to schools and a wide range of resources and support materials have been provided by the Department of Education as well as the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration to support this group.
439. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the appropriate budget lines are being prepared for the necessary and planned works to a school (details supplied); the status of works planned for 2020; and if they will be completed for September 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18149/20]
View answerMy Department has recently completed a review of the accommodation needs of the school in question and have agreed a Long Term Projected Enrolment (LTPE) of 1,300 pupils with the school authority.
A building project to deliver the necessary accommodation will be devolved to the school authority shortly.
I can confirm that additional interim accommodation is being provided to the school, in the short-term, to cater for increased enrolment pending delivery of the permanent school extension.
440. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the situation regarding a school (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18153/20]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the main purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is to ensure the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are most in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation or on receipt of an enrolment application from a special needs pupil.
An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening
Primary and post-primary schools requiring emergency works to be undertaken must apply under this scheme by completing in full the Emergency Works Application Form. This form and other relevant information in relation to applications for funding under this scheme, including its terms and conditions, may be found on the Department's website at the following web address: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Building-Works/Emergency-Works/.
I can inform the Deputy that my Department does not have any record of an application for emergency works funding for the issues at the school to which he refers.
441. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the delay in receiving leaving certificate calculated grades will impact on students that have applied to study at an EU member state university many of whom require results in August 2020 to secure an offer of a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18194/20]
View answerGenerally, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures, and as such, have administrative policies and deadlines in place to ensure that teaching and learning is delivered in a consistent manner to all of their students. All EU Member States have challenges similar to ours in addressing the concerns of students this year due to the COVID pandemic.
On 21st July, I wrote to the Ministers with responsibility for higher education in all of the EU Member States, advising them of the date of issue of the 2020 Leaving Certificate results. I asked the Ministers that their authorities, including their universities, give special consideration and flexibility to Irish students who may not have their Leaving Certificate results in time to complete the processing of their admissions at the usual time.
442. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will provide guidance for students that have applied to study at an EU member state university that will be impacted by the decision to delay the issuing leaving certificate calculated grades until September 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18195/20]
View answerGenerally, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures, and as such, have administrative policies and deadlines in place to ensure that teaching and learning is delivered in a consistent manner to all of their students. All EU Member States have challenges similar to ours in addressing the concerns of students this year due to the COVID pandemic.
I have written to all EU Ministers with responsibility for higher education, and sought their assistance to seek special consideration and flexibility from their universities with regard to the registration of Irish students. However, it is also important for the students themselves to engage with the universities in question directly to puruse that flexibility.
443. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has notified her EU counterparts of the decision to delay issuing the leaving certificate calculated grades until September 2020; if she has proposed plans to accommodate students studying at EU member state universities; if she requested flexibility for students coming from Ireland to study; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18196/20]
View answerGenerally, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures, and as such, have administrative policies and deadlines in place to ensure that teaching and learning is delivered in a consistent manner to all of their students. All EU Member States have challenges similar to ours in addressing the concerns of students this year due to the COVID pandemic.
On 21st July, I wrote to the Ministers with responsibility for higher education in all of the EU Member States, advising them of the date of issue of the 2020 Leaving Certificate results. While recognising that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures, I have requested that their authorities, including their universities, give special consideration to Irish students who may not have their Leaving Certificate results in time to complete the processing of their admissions at the usual time.
444. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children that attend primary and secondary schools. [18200/20]
View answerPlease find Primary and Post-Primary enrolments for 2019-20 attached. Please note that the figures are based on the Primary and Post-Primary Census returns as of 30 September 2019 and are the final figures for the 2019-20 academic year. The figures for Primary include Mainstream and Special pupils in Mainstream Schools as well as Special Pupils in Special Schools.
Primary Enrolments
|
Academic Year (Enrolment) |
School Type Description |
Pupil Type Description |
Enrolment per Return |
|
2019 |
Ordinary |
Mainstream |
383,332 |
|
2019 |
Ordinary with Special Classes |
Mainstream |
169,211 |
|
2019 |
Ordinary with Special Classes |
Special |
6,822 |
|
2019 |
Special Education |
Special |
8,351 |
|
Grand Total |
567,716 |
|
Post Primary Enrolments |
|
Academic Year |
Count Unique Enrolments - <=30th Sept |
|
2019 |
371,450 |
|
Grand Total |
371,450 |
445. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the annual capitation grant amounts to schools since 2008. [18201/20]
View answerDetails of annual expenditure by my Department on capitation related grants for Primary and Post-Primary schools in the years 2009 to 2019 are provided in the table below.
|
Sector |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
Primary |
184.7 |
193.6 |
187.2 |
183.7 |
186.5 |
188.3 |
190.3 |
197.1 |
202.7 |
208.2 |
216.5 |
|
Post Primary |
165.9 |
176.3 |
170.3 |
168.1 |
166.5 |
167.8 |
170.0 |
173.9 |
177.4 |
180.8 |
185.2 |
|
Overall Total |
350.6 |
370.0 |
357.5 |
351.8 |
353.0 |
356.1 |
360.2 |
371.1 |
380.0 |
389.0 |
401.7 |
446. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing funding for book rental schemes both in primary schools and in secondary schools by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%, respectively. [18202/20]
View answerMy Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools.
Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary DEIS schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. Under Circular 46/2013, DEIS schools receive a book grant of €21 per student. This pilot will provide an additional €64 per student to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per student enrolled in the school. This additional funding issued to schools in May 2020.
School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents and in order to support the establishment of book rental schemes my Department provided €15.7 million seed capital in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to primary schools. Circa. 96% of primary schools and 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme
It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need.
Each 1% increase in the book grant for primary and post-primary schools would cost circa €170,000. The table below sets out the estimated full-year cost of increasing this grant by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25% respecctively.
|
% increase |
Cost of increase at Primary Level |
Cost of Increase at Post primary Level |
Total |
|
5% |
€0.4m. |
€0.5m. |
€0.8m. |
|
10% |
€0.8m. |
€0.9m. |
€1.7m. |
|
20% |
€1.5m. |
€1.9m. |
€3.4m. |
|
25% |
€1.9m. |
€2.4m. |
€4.2m. |
447. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing funding for the school transport scheme by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%, respectively. [18203/20]
View answer448. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of securing free transport for the 120,000 students that took part in the school transport scheme in 2019-2020. [18204/20]
View answer513. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing free school transport to each child availing of it in 2020. [18793/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In the 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
In the 2019/2020 school year school transport services were provided to primary and post-primary schools for over 76,300 eligible children. Of these, in the region of 28,000 children held valid Medical Cards and were exempt from school transport charges. In addition, there is no charge for children availing of transport on the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.
The average cost of providing transport for a child to a primary or post-primary school is estimated at €1,000 per annum. In 2019, receipts from school transport charges amounted to some €17m. If school transport fees were to be abolished this would be the additional cost on the scheme.
With regard to increasing funding by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%, respectively, the cost of the scheme in 2019 was over €219m so it would be an estimated respective increase on this figure.
449. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding leaving certificate students that are studying individual subjects externally in order to qualify for specific course requirements (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to concerns among students that the recent announcement indicating a delay in the results being announced will negatively impact on them potentially forcing them to miss the start of their course. [18216/20]
View answerA system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations this year. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
For the calculated grades system to be operated with integrity, an estimated percentage mark, based on credible, satisfactory evidence, can only be accepted from an appropriate source. This is necessary to ensure fairness to all students.
On 16 July, I announced that students will receive their Calculated Grades on 7 September. This is the earliest possible release date given the rigorous and robust quality assurance checks required to ensure the process has executed with equity and fairness to all students and to ensure that the 2020 results enjoy the same status as those of previous years. The results will be available in time for Round 1 offers from CAO and through UCAS for colleges and universities in Ireland and the UK respectively.
For those seeking to enter Bachelor in Education programmes for primary teachers, I should note that the colleges involved have engaged with the Teaching Council on this matter. The Council has recommended that on an exceptional basis in 2020, students who have sought and are unable to receive a calculated grade in Irish in Leaving Certificate 2020 may use the standard of TEG B2 in the Teastas Eorpach sa Ghaeilge (TEG) oral examination as an equivalent to Gaeilge H4 in the Leaving Certificate for the purposes of entry onto the Bachelor in Education programme in the 2020/2021 academic year. The Calculated Grades Executive Office informed all affected students of availability of this facility.
450. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding social distancing in secondary schools if they are to return in September 2020; the timeline for her Department to provide return to work and school protocols to students and teachers that will offer assurances with regards to their safety. [18219/20]
View answerYesterday, 27 July, my Department published the report to Government “Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School”.
This Roadmap set outs how schools will fully reopen for all students from the end of August, and what the operation of our schools will look like and be sustainable in a COVID-19 context. It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives.
The roadmap sets out in detail how physical distancing can be applied in primary and post primary settings, using the principles outlined in the public health advice.
Given that each school setting is different in terms of (i) location; (ii) physical layout (iii) available space within the school; and (iv) student numbers; schools themselves are best placed to decide on the appropriate reconfigurations / operational changes necessary to maintain physical distancing.
At post primary level given that students are not assigned to one class teacher, the range of measures required to support physical distancing will encompass a number of measures. They will include
- Reconfiguring class spaces to maximise physical distancing;
- Utilising and reconfiguring all available space in the school in order to maximise physical distancing;
- Reviewing timetables;
- Reconfiguring classes;
- Consider use of live streaming within the school, if practical;
- Accessing available spaces within the local community.
In addition there is a link in the Roadmap to a variety of class layouts to support schools make the physical changes to classrooms necessary. The implementation of these measures will be supported by funding through the once off enhanced minor works grant and will be paid to all primary and post primary schools by mid-August.
451. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the situation regarding a school (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18245/20]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the main purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme is to ensure the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are most in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation or on receipt of an enrolment application from a special needs pupil.
An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening
Primary and post-primary schools requiring emergency works to be undertaken must apply under this scheme by completing in full the Emergency Works Application Form. This form and other relevant information in relation to applications for funding under this scheme, including its terms and conditions, may be found on the Department's website at the following web address: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Building-Works/Emergency-Works/.
I can inform the Deputy that my Department does not have any record of an application for emergency works funding for the issues at the school to which he refers.
452. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the inclusion of African history, colonial history and the history of slavery in the junior cycle curriculum in order to enhance students understanding of world history and the parallels between Irish history and that of the developing world. [18254/20]
View answerA core value of the curriculum, across all levels of schooling in Ireland, is inclusivity and diversity. The curriculum at primary and post-primary is for all learners, from all backgrounds – regardless of gender, socio-economic background, race or creed.
At post primary level, many subjects that students take at both junior and senior cycle are based on learning outcomes. Learning outcomes allow teachers autonomy to work with students in choosing themes that are of interest or relevance to students’ lives. As some issues become topical in society and prominent in the media, teachers can adjust their plans to reflect this and bring these issues into the classroom. The way these courses are designed means that recent political or social developments, such as concerns the Black Lives Matter movement and the concerns that have been raised over statues of historical figures associated with slavery, can be discussed in the classroom and can be incorporated into the curriculum.
The current Junior Cycle History curriculum was introduced to schools two years ago. As a learning outcomes based curriculum it allows flexibility and room for innovative approaches to content to suit the context of a given classroom. There are opportunities to explore aspects of history such as the impact of colonisation, the civil rights movements in the 1960s and to the history of Europe and the wider world. For example, Learning Outcome 3.2: evaluate the impact of conquest and colonisation on people, with particular reference to Portuguese and Spanish exploration. Students should learn about the experiences and stories of people who were conquered or colonised and the effect it had on those people because of Spanish and Portuguese exploration in the seventeenth century. Moreover, it also allows for discussion of other examples of conquest and colonisation, including in Africa.
In Learning Outcome 3.10 learners have the opportunity to explore the significance of genocide, including the causes, course and consequences of the Holocaust. Here, students will learn about the Holocaust, but they can also have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the significance of genocide in history. Teachers can facilitate discussion around diversity, prejudice, discrimination and racism and the atrocities that have occurred worldwide throughout History as a result. In Learning Outcome 1.2 students are asked to consider contentious or controversial issues in history from more than one perspective and discuss the historical roots of a contentious or controversial issue or theme in the contemporary world. This offers the potential for rich learning opportunities in topics like the exploitation of African people in the slave trade and what that means in today’s context.
The two Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) in the junior cycle specification facilitates students to explore topics that are interesting and relevant to their own lives. Students who have family backgrounds or relationships with Africa are free to base their chosen study of CBA 1 ‘The Past in My Place’ on such themes. Equally, in ‘A Life in Time’, students choose a person from the past and explore why that person is historically significant. Many figures relating to the history of slavery or to African history more generally could be selected here. There are also opportunities for such projects to be exhibited or shared with classmates or with the school, so that that there is greater awareness and understanding of the issues discussed.
At Senior Cycle, the Leaving Certificate history curriculum offers students the opportunity to study aspects of the history of Africa in the unit: ‘European Retreat from Empire and the Aftermath, 1945-1990’. This topic explores themes such as the impact of western colonialism in Africa, tensions between indigenous people and colonisers, as well as issues of prejudice, racism and the consequences of colonialism. Another topic in the curriculum called ‘The United States and the World, 1945-1989’ facilitates students to examine the experience of African American people in American history.
As a Department we understand that teachers need to be supported in appropriately dealing with sensitive and important issues such as race/overcoming diversity that may arise within the classroom, in this regard, the Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) History team are planning a number of continuous professional development opportunities for teachers in the school year 2020-21. Work is underway to develop webinars and podcasts that support teachers in exploring diverse human histories with students and to develop resources on issues such as racism and privilege in History.
A review of the junior cycle curriculum will take place next year and the experiences and suggestions from students, will form a valuable part of this review. Relevant topics such as gender, race and prejudice and how the experiences of students can be integrated into the planning of units of work will form a part of the discussion.
453. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the different demographic characteristics including gender and socio-economic status being used to review individual grades from 2020 leaving certificate students which are leading to significant delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18295/20]
View answerThe design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of my Department, the Educational Research Centre, and international external expertise.
The use of demographic characteristics was inherent in the design of the statistical model developed by the Technical Working Group.
The use of these characteristics is part of the process of validating the model and is there to ensure that the statistical standardisation process is presenting outcomes that are as fair and equitable as possible, and in line with previous outcomes as much as is possible. Not to run these checks would run the risk of not being able to tell whether or not the standardisation process was working as intended.
In the Calculated Grades system, students’ expected performance in a subject and level, will be combined with information about how students in the school have fared in this subject/level in recent years in line with national performance standards over time. The performance of this year’s group of students against their overall performance at Junior Cycle will also be reviewed. The relevant information which will be used to support this process includes:
- National level for both leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- School level for both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- Candidate level for both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations for 2019 and previous years.
- Candidate level for the Junior Cycle results of the 2020 Leaving Certificate cohort of candidates.
While these datasets do include certain demographic information, this demographic information is not being used as part of the process of generating the calculated grades through the standardisation process.
However, in order to make sure that the standardisation process is doing what it is supposed to do, there is a separate additional process being carried out called validation.
Validation is an inherent element of any statistical system, and in the Calculated Grades model the purpose of validation is to ensure that the statistical model is behaving as expected, and is achieving its objectives. As mentioned, the validation process has been part of the design from the beginning.
The workings of the statistical model will be reviewed and validated in a number of ways. There will be review of the distributions of results for each subject and level. There will also be a review of the demographic characteristics of the outcomes which will include gender and socio-economic status of the school.
The purpose of this review of the outcomes of the statistical model is to check whether the Calculated Grades model is resulting in any particular group being advantaged or disadvantaged relative to previous years’ outcomes. It is important to note that this assessment is being made relative to previous years; the validation will check, for example, whether or not disadvantage effects, or gender effects are being exacerbated under the model. This is to ensure that the model is presenting outcomes that are as fair and equitable as possible given its constraints, and in line with previous outcomes as much as is possible.
The purpose of the Calculated Grades system is to arrive at the grade that each student would have achieved if the examinations had taken place as normal. The validation process will check to see if the interactions between these characteristics and the calculated results are similar to the interactions in the historical data between these characteristics and examination results.
My Department has published a Short Guide to Data Collection National Standardisation and Quality Assurance which provides further details about the workings of the calculated grades model. The Guide is available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate
This process requires adequate time is progressing. On 16 July, I announced that students will receive their Calculated Grades on 7 September. The recent announcement that the results would issue on this date has been portrayed by some as a “delay” despite no date having been announced previously. This is the earliest possible release date given the rigorous and robust quality assurance checks required to ensure the process has executed with equity and fairness to all students and to ensure that the 2020 results enjoy the same status as those of previous years.
