Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:62. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education her plans to support a hybrid leaving certificate for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4664/22]
View answerTuesday, 1 February 2022
Questions (62)
Oral answers (7 contributions)
My question is about the hybrid leaving certificate for 2022 students. The students and parents who contacted me today are so disappointed that the Minister has ruled it out. What are her plans now to reform the leaving certificate?
As already outlined to the House, in recent weeks I attended a meeting with the advisory group on State examinations, which is representative of students, parents, teachers, managerial bodies, the further and higher education sector and the State Examinations Commission. Following on from this meeting, I met with the members of the advisory group on a one-to one or bilateral basis and also had further engagement with each of them thereafter. I listened carefully to what each of these stakeholders had to say and examined each of their points.
Following consideration of this matter by the Government today, I announced the decision to operate an examinations approach for the leaving certificate class of 2022, with significant further adjustments to the examinations and to provide students with a commitment that the overall results of leaving certificate 2022 will not be lower than in 2021. As the Deputy may be aware, it would not have been possible to run accredited grades in the same manner as had been done last year as junior cycle data was unavailable for 25%, or one in four, of our students.
The further extensive changes I have announced to the examination papers over and above those announced in August 2021 mean that candidates have greater choice in the papers, have less questions to answer and still have the same amount of time as in a normal year to complete the examination. For example, as I have previously outlined, in mathematics, where students would traditionally have ten questions to answer, they now have only six. This is in addition to previously announced changes such as the running of the oral examinations and music practical over the first week of the Easter break.
Timeframes for certain assessment elements of the leaving certificate applied examinations have also been pushed out. Schools were also reminded of the flexibilities regarding the dates for completion and authentication of examination coursework. I have also confirmed that junior cycle examinations will take place this summer, which I think is also important. Adjustments to the assessment arrangements for junior cycle were published previously and provide for more teaching time in schools. As I outlined earlier, they include a reduction in the number of classroom-based assessments, the removal of the requirement to complete the assessment tasks and adjustments to the requirements in coursework and practical performance tests.
I believe that the decision will provide the junior cycle and leaving certificate students of 2022 with an opportunity for their learning and attainment at the end of their post-primary education to be assessed and to enable them to progress.
I thank the Minister. I am intensely aware of the interruption experienced by students due to take their leaving certificate examination this year. The level of stress as they awaited certainty about this year's examinations was felt by all of us. I appreciate that the Minister has made great changes to the examinations, but these students have missed an entire year of a two-year programme. I am really worried about students' mental health. It is time we reformed the leaving certificate and the steps to do that must occur now.
I am aware that arrangements have been made in conjunction with the State Examinations Commission to put in place numerous measures to take account of disruptions and challenges caused by the pandemic, including revised dates for coursework or oral examinations, but are provisions being made for students who cannot sit the examinations due to Covid-19 or long Covid?
I reiterate that we are all very conscious of the difficulties of the past two years for the education sector and for wider society, but most specifically in this instance for our students. As I have previously outlined to the House, I have engaged with students, parents, teachers and school management bodies. There were four key points consistently raised by students, including the necessity to have clarity, which we have provided today. We were in a position to do that earlier this year than was achieved last year. The second point was that they would have greater choice in the examination papers. As I have outlined to the Deputy, we have achieved that for them. There is a significantly different examination being experienced by students in 2022 than was experienced by those in 2018 or 2019.
The issue of grade inflation was a key point highlighted by students. Again, I have given the commitment today that the grade inflation of 2021 will be on a par for the class of 2022. On the accredited grades process and the issues around that, we did do work on that. There is an issue around the fact that one in four students do not have the junior cycle data.
I want to ask the Minister about supports. What supports will be offered to students with long-term illnesses that might prevent them from sitting the examination on the assigned date? A student with epilepsy who experiences a medical emergency such as a seizure immediately before or during the examination and is unable to complete that examination, should be given the opportunity to re-sit the examination within the same examination cycle or before such time as the CAO offers issue. Such a provision has been introduced in recent years for students who experience a bereavement during their examinations. Stress and anxiety can be more acute during the leaving certificate examination cycle for a student with long-term illness such as epilepsy, Crohn's disease or cancer. They have the heightened anxiety and worry about being unable to complete their examination. Is their only option to repeat the examination a year later? What supports can the Minister look at for these students? For those in fifth year anxiously watching this space and waiting to hear how the examination will take place next year, what challenges will be there for them?
I, too, want to raise the matter of supports. The Minister will be aware of the committee report of a number of months ago which highlighted the inevitable additional supports that would be required for students after Covid. It highlights the necessity for us to put in place enhanced mental health supports, particularly in our schools. I understand that is occurring at third level, but it is also eminently necessary at second level. The Minister has made a difficult decision under very difficult circumstances so as not to have to bring in measures such as profiling, which clearly was not desired in the committee or in this House.
As stated earlier by my colleague, Deputy Bruton, it is necessary for us to re-evaluate the leaving certificate as it currently stands in terms of continuous examination and ensuring that that terminal examination is not a one-day event.
I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Murnane O'Connor's specific question with regard to the accommodation for students who have a significant illness, a bereavement or are impacted by Covid, it may have escaped the Deputy but I did announce some time ago that there is a contingency second sitting of the examination, which will take place immediately after the first sitting of the examination. This is for exceptional cases such as a medical issue pertaining to a student, a bereavement or an issue pertaining to Covid.
I appreciate the points that have been raised in regard to the need to support the students in all aspects of their lives. Deputies will be aware that earlier this year we launched the Covid learning and support scheme for schools, which is not only a support scheme with additional hours and additional teaching resources for academic learning, but also for well-being initiatives within our schools. On the issue of senior cycle reform, I am enormously committed to senior cycle reform. It is something that we will be progressing. My objective is to ensure that we maximise the potential of all of our students and the assessment of their various skill sets, and provide pathways for them.