Over 60,000 Junior Cert students to receive results
Over 60,000 Irish students from more than 720 schools will receive their Junior Certificate results this afternoon with a record number having taken higher level maths.
The results will be available online and in schools, or online from 4pm this afternoon.
Some 54% of the class of 2014 are revealed to have sat the higher level maths exam, up from 52%t last year.
Four students earned 12 'A' grades.
The number of students who sat the exams was 60,327, the highest in recent years and an increase of 0.8% on the number last year. English, Mathematics, Civic, Social & Political Education (CPSE), Geography, History, Science and Irish are, as in 2013, the top seven subjects.
Education Minister Jan O'Sullivan offered her best wishes to all awaiting their results.
"I hope that your results reflect the hard work you have put into your studies,” Minister O’Sullivan said.
"I would like to thank the teachers who worked diligently with their students over the three year cycle. We must also remember to acknowledge students’ parents who supported and encouraged their children over the entire cycle and particularly in the course of the examination."
However teachers remain in dispute with the Departement over Junior Cycle reforms, and specifically plans to have them assess their own students for the Junior Cycle Student Award that will replace the Junior Certificate.
Minister O’Sullivan said last week that she hopes to discuss their concerns again next month, but 17,000 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) are being pressed to vote in favour of stepping up their action to possible strikes.
Meanwhile her congratulatory comments were echoed by Junior Minister Damien English, who described the increased uptake in higher level maths as “a very welcome development".
“A good base in Mathematics is essential for successful engagement with the sciences and with life," Minister English said.
"It is heartening that well over half of the Junior Certificate cohort are now sitting the higher level mathematics examination.”
Minister English also pointed out that this year students sat examinations which were largely based on the new Project Maths syllabus. He commented that "Increasing the uptake of higher level Maths is one of the explicit aims of Project Maths and this greater uptake is to be welcomed at Junior Cycle”.
Students who wish to appeal their results can do so through their school by no later than Friday, September 28.
