Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Deputies. To put their questions in context, the prevailing circumstances of the pandemic at the time meant that it was not possible to house the traditional exams as they are normally experienced. The Deputies will recall that in April, the written exams were deferred until July. On 8 May, a further decision was taken because of the pandemic that it was not possible for those exams to be sat in July and the calculated grade model was introduced. That model was first mooted by students and, following consultation with partners in education, it became the agreed model. The importance that the 2020 students would be afforded an opportunity to have a pathway forward to take up whatever opportunities in life they wished was recognised. The only mechanism to do that at the time was the calculated grades process. That was the reason the calculated grades process was introduced.

As the Deputy outlined, the students who will undertake the leaving certificate exams in November have already left school and it is not possible for the schools to re-engage with them. It is in the interests of the students that they would have the opportunity to choose between the calculated grades process and the exam process, and that is why the November exams were put in place. That was a part of the original agreement in May and will be the process, going forward.

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