The ISSU welcomed the elements of clarity which were brought with the announcement made by the Minister for Education on Friday the 8th of May.  However, the ISSU continues to seek further clarification on a number of crucial concerns relating to the finalised contingency plan to ensure it is fair and equitable in implementation.

• Candidates who wish to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations should not be disadvantaged in transitioning to the next stage of their education . Students wishing to sit the exams must be allowed to avail of this at the earliest and most practical time that health guidelines permit. All students should have the equal opportunity to progress in their next step of education. A number of logistical queries, which the ISSU submitted to the Department of Education and Skills advisory group in April, regarding the sitting of examinations must be addressed and developed to ensure safety, fairness and equitable measures implemented.

• The school profiling standardisation mechanism  should not academically disadvantage or advantage  any student because of the school they attend. Students should be awarded their deserved grade.

• More detailed guidance needs to be provided as to what is deemed sufficient evidence for students studying subjects externally from their school. Protocols must be developed in detail to be able to administer grades in all subjects undertaken for the Leaving Certificate 2020.

• Measures must be explored and implemented for any candidates who are repeating examinations, internally and externally, so that they can progress in a fair and equitable manner alongside their peers.

• The date for release of calculated grades must be decided and provided at the earliest possible date to ensure those wishing to appeal and sit an examination are afforded the opportunity, without having to defer or reapply the following academic year.

• Calculated grades must be cognisant and reflective of the possible progression of students’ ability and performance had they been afforded the opportunity to complete their schooling,study, coursework and examinations under normal circumstances. Students have missed vital class time, finishing of curricula and the completion of projects and practicals since the closure in early March. It is pivotal to include these variants alongside the records of students’ ability and performance in providing a calculated grade. 

• Any students receiving a calculated grade who would require reasonable accommodations in the examinations, should have their performance calculations estimated on this accommodation being available to them.

• Clarification is needed on whether the new contingency plan will have implications for the DARE and HEAR access schemes. 

• Clarification is needed for students who wish to study abroad specifically around the release of dates, deadlines for appeal and sitting of examinations as this could have a huge impact on their entry to third-level institutes in other countries. The deadlines given should be aligned so that these students are able to proceed with their studies overseas.

• We are seeking clarity on the HPAT results release date and are advocating for this to be brought forward for students to receive in advance of the CAO deadline for change of mind as is done in previous years.

• Contingency plans need to be developed for the current 5th year and 2nd year students moving in to examination years that will ensure they are not academically disadvantaged due to school closures, loss of curriculum/project/coursework completion time and the implications the recently announced contingency will have on their progression to the next stage of their education. 

We continue to encourage students to communicate their views, queries and concerns and would urge them to get in touch with us at clarity@issu.ie