Accredited Leaving Cert grades 'not possible this year' according to Minister

It seems increasingly likely that this year's Leaving Cert will revert to the pre-pandemic format, with a Government Minister saying this morning that the option for students to receive an accredited grade would not be possible in 2022.

"I don't think it was possible to do a hybrid Leaving because of the difficulty [that] a quarter of the students hadn't done their Junior Cert," said Environment Minister Eamon Ryan.

"Therefore how you do accredited grades wouldn't be possible - certainly not in the same way it was done last year."

Reports which emerged last night suggested that this year's Leaving Cert students will have to sit "a written exam which includes additional elements of choice."

The news has been criticised by opposition TDs, with People Before Profit Education spokesperson Paul Murphy saying this year's Leaving Certs had "faced more disruption to their studies than even last years or the year before.

"For them, their entire Leaving Cert cycle has been disrupted by Covid. They haven't had a chance for a traditional education, they should not be forced to do the traditional Leaving Cert," he commented.

Speaking to the Westmeath Independent last month, Moate Community School principal Tom Lowry said Leaving Cert students were in a particularly difficult position this year.

"They've had two years in senior cycle which have been very disturbed and unusual. They're preparing to sit a Leaving Cert exam in June and, as of this moment in time, they won't have the option of receiving an accredited grade.

"They are certainly at a disadvantage, there's absolutely no doubt about that, and that's a very stressful situation to be in," said Mr Lowry.

Further details are expected to emerge following today's cabinet meeting, where proposals for the Leaving Cert format are being brought by Education Minister Norma Foley.