Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right and we need to deal with that.If I recall correctly, the plan was to reform the junior cycle first, get that done and move on to reforming the senior cycle. I am not sure if the two can be done concurrently.

Perhaps they can. The leaving certificate as an exam has served us well. I have spoken to a lot of fifth year and sixth year students who now say to me they would much rather sit the leaving certificate next year than have predictive grades, which says something significant. It is a trusted exam. It might be brutal on occasions but it is fair. Much of it is based on rote learning and it is out of date and undervalues apprenticeships and other things, as the Deputy said.

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