I propose to take Questions Nos. 159, 226, 240, 251, 253, 257, 268, 274, 282, 284, 298, 304, 311, 315, 328, 330, 355, 364 and 391 together.
Where a student is studying one or more subjects outside of a recognised school, my Department will be flexible in accepting estimated marks and rankings from other schools or colleges, and will look at this issue on a case-by-case basis. In general, I can say that, provided an estimated mark and ranking can be generated from a teacher in a way that is fair to all candidates, my Department will seek to provide a calculated grade. Students will be able to use this calculated grade in the same way as a Leaving Certificate grade to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
For students in receipt of home tuition with an association to a recognised school, the guidance will provide information for school authorities to engage with the home tutor in arriving at a decision. Whether a valid estimate of performance can be provided will depend on whether the home tutor is a registered teacher and where the school is satisfied with the evidence used to support the judgment.
If a student has moved school recently and the length of time is such that the teacher considers that do not have enough evidence to make a sound judgement, then the teacher should consult school management about acquiring additional information form the student’s previous school.
There are 2,858 external candidates entered to sit the Leaving Certificate exams for 2020. A significant number of these candidates are studying in an alternative setting such as a private college.