Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Overall, I am blown away by the positivity towards accredited grades in secondary schools. The system is fair and gives students a choice. Students make the decision themselves as to whether they select accredited grades or sit the leaving certificate examination. It seems to be the consensus this year that leaving certificate students are opting to merge this choice by both sitting examinations and taking accredited grades.

One school of 1,200 students said that the students were putting themselves under pressure but did not mind as it was their own decision. One principal said that the cohort of students and teachers were amazing during Covid and worked so well together. It was a lack of clarity last year that was the most difficult thing. This year, they felt it was like a tick-box process and they were offered clarity, compassion and choice. One principal said that he was grateful for the guidance and great resources provided. When they opened in 2020, they felt everything was against them but this year they are much more confident and happy with the situation. However, I ask that the Minister look at fifth year students in relation to next year's leaving certificate, as they have equally been disadvantaged due to Covid. They will have great challenges with the curriculum for many reasons. There are difficulties with engagement when there is no examination path for them. Having spoken to several principals, they all expressed concerns about the junior cycle in schools and that there are difficulties with the younger age groups in settling down in school after such a long absence. Great tributes were paid to teachers for adapting in a relatively short time to online education. Due to this engagement, students gave great credit to teachers for adapting so fast. I give credit to students for adapting to a life-time change in doing online teaching.

I mentioned the fifth year students a moment ago. There is going to be an aftermath from this cycle for a number of years to come. The sixth class students moving into first year lost roughly six months of teaching because of the basics involved in meeting new students, and the different classrooms. It is only in the last month or so that they are now getting to know each other because they had been in and out prior to this. They will also feel the impact and they will have to make up time throughout the coming years, but they have the time. However, the fifth year students have a massive hill to climb. Fifth year is the year they do all the different curriculums and sixth year is when they do the revision of what they have done. I hope this will be mirrored for our fifth years students next year so we can also work with them.

Experts believe this will lead to grade inflation this year and will likely send CAO points over the top. However, I am sure due diligence has been given to the errors of last year so we will not have a repeat of that this year. I pay tribute to students for their resilience during the pandemic and wish them all the best in their leaving certificate examinations. I believe the Minister has fitted very well into her current role. Going forward in this role, I believe she will work with teachers and students.

I have one last point I want to draw her attention to. The school transport system proved very difficult last year. I hope that with the new system being rolled out this year, things will be in place for September because there are many people who do not have access to transport to school apart from the school bus. I hope it covers all areas including rural areas and that people who are dependent on the school bus will be accommodated in the system and that extra buses will be put on to get them to school.

I wish the Minister well in her position. I wish all the teachers and students the very best for this year. They are a credit to their families and to the whole country for what they have gone through and I wish them all the best in their leaving certificate.

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