Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley.

Following a Government decision on 1 February, the Minister for Education announced details regarding arrangements for the 2022 State junior cycle and leaving certificate examinations. These details were finalised following extensive engagement with the advisory group on planning for the State examinations. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teacher unions, school management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education.

In her announcement, the Minister confirmed that the junior cycle examinations will run in June 2022 as normal for the first time since 2019. This year is also the first year that all of the new subject specifications for the junior cycle will be examined by the State Examinations Commission. To take account of the disruption to learning experienced by junior cycle students, adjustments to the assessment arrangements for the junior cycle were announced in August 2021. These included a reduction in the number of classroom-based assessments to be completed, the removal of the requirement to complete assessment tasks and adjustments to the requirements in coursework and practical performance tests. Junior cycle students normally complete two classroom-based assessments in each subject. In the current school year, however, each student must complete a minimum of only one such assessment in each subject, with discretion in the case of most subjects as to which of the two assessment will be completed. These adjustments will provide for more teaching time in schools.

The junior cycle summer written examinations will begin on 8 June and finish on 20 June. All aspects of staging these examinations will be guided by the prevailing public health advice. The Department of Education and the State Examinations Commission have met with public health to discuss matters around the State examinations and this engagement is continuing in the lead-up to the examinations. The Minister would like to express her thanks to our public health colleagues for their ongoing assistance to the Department of Education throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

A junior cycle student who is unable to sit his or her examinations for Covid-related reasons, which is the issued alluded to by the Senator, will still receive a junior cycle profile of achievement, which certifies the completion of a course of junior cycle studies for students. It is provided to them by their schools and draws upon and reports on achievement across all elements of assessment and not only performance in the State written examinations.This includes, as appropriate, ongoing formative assessment in the classroom; classroom-based assessments across subjects and short courses; level 1 and level 2 learning programmes; the area of well-being; and other areas of learning, such as performance in the school choir or debating society. There have been occasions when students could not sit the junior cycle written examinations due to illness. In these cases, students have still proceeded to the senior cycle. Schools and teachers facilitate the transition of students from junior to senior cycle by reflecting on the learning, interests and achievements of students in the junior cycle.