Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last year's fifth years faced challenges due to Covid-19. We want to evolve from where we were and from the measures we had to take because of Covid-19 and we would like to think that next year's leaving certificate exams will be taking place in a different environment because of the vaccination programme and the ongoing successful impact of that programme in being able to reopen society and return to some degree of normality. There is a broader issue of the reform of the leaving certificate itself and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is doing that. In respect of the State Examinations Commission and the leaving certificate, mechanisms can be developed that take into account the experiences of fifth year students in preparing for the exam and the amount of curriculum covered so that greater flexibility, breadth and options and questions can be put, which help in that regard.

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