09.10 17 Feb 2021
Minister for Education Norma Foley is expected to make an announcement on this year s Leaving Certificate, this afternoon. We spoke to Reuban Murray, President of the Irish Second-Level Students Union who outlined what they are expecting from today’s announcement. Also we got reaction from Mai Fanning, President of the National Parents Council Post Primary and Michael Gillespie, TUI General Secretary.
It sought out to flesh out various options, in the face of the unexpected closure of schools since Christmas and the stress that the uncertainty is causing Leaving Cert candidates in particular
It was arranged after a survey by the Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU) where four in five students, predominantly sixth years, voted for having a choice between calculated grades and exams.
A similar trend has emerged in a smaller survey by the National Parents Council Post Primary, according to its president Mai Fanning, while teacher unions want to stick with exams.
A Department of Education statement described today’s meeting as “exploration of further possible options for the exams.” It added that “themes around alternatives and possible impact on the student experience were discussed.”