Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021
461. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it is planned to proceed with in-person exams in December 2021 in third-level institutions. [57444/21]
View answerThe Government statement that there will be no change in current arrangements for student attendance and on-site activities in school, further and higher education institutions in line with COVID response plans for those sectors highlights that there is no change planned to the current arrangements for student attendance and on-site activities for the further and higher education sector. It is in this context that the sector continues to operate in accordance with the provisions of the Safe Return Plan, which has facilitated the return of over 400,000 learners since September, and which has been supplemented by recent guidance in relation to the sectoral approach for this current phase of the response.
For activities that are context dependent, in such a way that a one size fits all approach will not work across the sector, institutions have discretion to adopt public health measures appropriate to their own context, actively using significant precautionary measures to mitigate risk based on risk assessment and management systems, engagement with their stakeholders and building on the practices that were accrued through onsite provision in the more restrictive context of 2020/21. This encompasses ongoing monitoring and reviewing of plans, practices and measures including the approaches that institutions will take to terminal examinations.
Last week, I met with management, staff and student representatives and the issue of examinations was discussed. Management bodies confirmed that they are actively looking at a range of approaches to ensure that end of term examinations will be safe and that the requirements of students who may have Covid 19 or underlying health conditions can be addressed.
