Leaving Cert: 'Detailed guidance material' to be given to schools tomorrow, Minister says
Leaving Cert grades will not be based on mock exams or Junior cycle grades, the Education Minister has confirmed.
Speaking in the Dáil, Joe McHugh confirmed that Dr Áine Lawlor, former Director of the Teaching Council, has agreed to chair the Independent Steering Committee on Calculated Grades and will oversee the "quality and integrity" of the system, which will replace the State exams.
Mr McHugh said that "detailed guidance material" on how to mark Leaving Cert students will be issued to schools tomorrow.
However, Mr McHugh said that the grades will not be decided by a student's performance in their mock exams earlier this year.
"The detailed guidance to teachers and principals addresses many of the detailed aspects of how a teacher will determine an estimated mark in a particular subject."
There is one issue on which I think it is important to be clear, which has come up in a lot of the questions.
The guidance makes it clear that the estimated mark is not based on a student’s performance in any mock examinations undertaken in their school or their Junior Cycle results.
The estimated mark is informed by a teacher’s professional judgement and available evidence can be used to support the estimation of a mark.
Once a teacher has completed the stage of establishing an estimated mark for each student; those marks are then considered as part of a school alignment process.
Mr McHugh said that his department is exploring a system that would replace the July Provision scheme for children who have special needs, if personnel can be found.
"It is hoped to deliver this programme during the July or August period public health advice permitting. The participation of schools, teachers and SNAs is critically necessary and it is for them to decide if they wish to participate."
Fianna Fáil's Education Thomas Byrne said that the Minister's Dáil speech represented "a sea-change" in attitude by the Department of Education.
He said that there was "significant engagement ongoing" but that questions still needed to be answered. Mr Byrne said that extra college places needed to be made available for the class of 2020 and that schools must open as soon as it is safe to do so.
I would like that when the public health advice robustly allows the reopening of schools, that there be no further roadblocks to reopening.
