Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Evidence has repeatedly shown that "unless the examination changes, nothing else will." Ireland is highly unusual in international terms in having externally set, moderated and marked examinations at the end of lower secondary school. As some 90% of students now complete senior cycle, the junior certificate is no longer a high-stakes examination for the overwhelming majority of students. Treating it as such has been shown to have an unintended negative backwash effect on teaching, learning and assessment in the classroom. The new school certificate and report will reflect the learning of students across the three-year cycle. This reporting method will be much more analogous to the current reporting system used at primary level - which contemplates the holistic experience of students - and will give a much more rounded picture of student achievement.

See this speech in context