Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A number of students will undertake oral and practical exams over the Easter period. It would be remiss of us before the House goes into recess not to acknowledge the great work that teachers, supervisors, boards of management and, indeed, the Minister for Education and the officials in her Department, have done throughout the pandemic over the past two years. Most important of all, I wish to acknowledge all of the students. I wish each and every one of them the very best of luck. Some students must sacrifice what should be their downtime with their families over Easter to facilitate the orals and the practical exams. I am very cognisant of the fact that a number of those students will be the class who did not sit their junior certificate and, therefore, the oral and practical examinations will be their first experience of an official State exam. Any exam is trying and the junior certificate will break the ice for many students before they undertake the leaving certificate, which is the more important acid test. I am mindful of the students who did not have an opportunity to do the junior certificate but now over Easter in what should be holiday and family time must face their very first official State exam. I wish them all the very best of luck and I thank the teachers, supervisors and scrutineers who have facilitated these exams so that the leaving certificate can happen this year.