Following the announcement regarding the 2020 State Examinations, from the Minister for Education and Skills on Friday the 10th of April, the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has been working with the Department of Education and Skills and all stakeholders in order to ensure that student voice is heard and that decisions made are fair and just.

We have raised your concerns and recommendations and are happy to announce that some progress has been made. Today, Friday 17th April, the Department of Education and Skills launched a working group with education stakeholders to discuss the implications and logistics of the decision to postpone examinations. Following this meeting the Department issued a press release stating the following:

‘The Department of Education and Skills today (Friday 17 April 2020) met with a range of stakeholders as part of planning for the State Examinations in response to the COVID-19 public health measures.

The meeting involved representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Educational Psychological Service and the Department.

A series of further meetings will be held over the coming weeks as part of consideration and planning for the revised arrangements for the examinations, taking account of public health advice.

The Higher Education Authority is also observing at the meetings with the intention of feeding back to consultations it is involved with across the third level sector.

Further information for students about the decisions taken to date with regard to the State Examinations can be found at the State Examinations Commissions frequently asked questions document. https://examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ex&sc=cov’

The ISSU will continue to work with the Department of Education and other stakeholders in order to ensure that student voices are heard and that decisions made leave no student behind.