Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
101. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education if her Department has considered the impact on Border third-level institutions of a later-than-usual Leaving Certificate results day, as Border third-level institutions need to attract Northern-based students who will receive UCAS offers based on their A Level results on August 17; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31590/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that the timing of issue of results is of course an important issue for the further and higher .education sector, in the context of planning for the transition from post-primary to further and higher education. In that regard, my Department, together with the State Examinations Commission and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, met with the higher education stakeholders in March. This included the Irish Universities Association, Technological Higher Education Association, Union of Students in Ireland and the CAO.
I understand that about 0.5% of new entrants into undergraduate courses in Ireland each year are from Northern Ireland. This translates as between 200 and 300 new entrants from Northern Ireland into undergraduate courses in Ireland each year.
The State Examinations Commission, or the SEC, has responsibility for the development, operation and delivery of the State examinations. The SEC has recently confirmed that it intends to issue the Leaving Certificate 2023 results on Friday, the 25th of August.
This is a full week earlier than the 2022 results, which issued on the 2nd of September last year. It is a significant and very welcome step towards pre-pandemic norms in relation to the timing for issue of results.
Within this timeframe, the SEC is again this year providing a deferred examinations sitting for candidates unable to sit the main exams due to bereavement or major illness or injury. It will also implement a post-marking adjustment in the context of avoiding any cliff edge in grades as compared to the pandemic years. This will happen after all marking is complete.
I want to acknowledge the huge effort and commitment by the SEC to deliver this timeline, while maintaining these important student-centred elements of the process.
I also want to take the opportunity to thank all those teachers who are engaging in examining work, and whose efforts are crucial to the delivery of these results for the more than 135,000 students altogether who have sat this year’s Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Junior Cycle exam took place at over 800 post-primary schools and other venues across Ireland.
The SEC advises that candidates' results will be transferred to the Central Applications Office or the CAO at the earliest opportunity to facilitate progress to higher education. While the CAO falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation, I understand that the CAO has announced that the Round 1 offer date will be the 30th of August this year.
