David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the appeals process for students that were self-taught and did not receive a grade for subjects in which they were self-taught; the reason their pre-leaving certificate examinations are not sufficient for estimating grades; her plans to rectify same; when they will get to sit an exam; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13100/20]

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of external leaving certificate candidates that were unable to register for predicted grades through the P-POD system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13218/20]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all external leaving certificate candidates will be in receipt of a calculated grade; if she is satisfied that her Department communicated effectively with such candidates and that candidates were adequately informed of the process they needed to follow in order to receive a calculated grade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13219/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It was announced on Thursday 25 June that all out-of-school Leaving Certificate 2020 students are being contacted directly by my Department to notify them of an application process for Calculated Grades. These are students who entered for their examinations as external candidates and who indicated that they were not attending for tuition at any school, or centre of education recognised by the State Examinations Commission for the purposes of holding examinations.

The Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO) is emailing each of the 923 students who are classified as out-of-school learners to outline the steps they need to follow to be considered for Calculated Grades. The process is set out in the Guide to Calculated Grades for Out-of-school Learners which is available on my Department’s website.

The arrangements seek to include as many out-of-school students as possible in the Calculated Grades system provided that there is credible, satisfactory evidence from an appropriate source, on which an estimated percentage mark can be based.

The process for out-of-school students seeks to mirror the fundamental principles which applied to the Calculated Grades process which schools have undertaken for their students. Both schemes are grounded in principles of objectivity, fairness, and equity. It is necessary to ensure students in both categories are treated in a comparable manner which means that those exercising professional judgement on their behalf should not rely on any one source of evidence.In the school based process, teachers were advised to exercise caution in relation to pre-Leaving Certificate (“mock”) examinations. Students in this group will be asked to apply to the CGEO by sending the application form through registered post by Thursday 2 July 2020 with details of their engagement with tuition on a subject-by-subject basis.

Following assessment of the application, the CGEO will seek an estimated percentage mark from the source nominated by the student and will make an assessment as to whether the estimated mark can be accepted in line with the principles and requirements of the scheme.

Students will be notified of decisions, and reason(s) for decisions, in writing and will have a right of appeal subject to setting out grounds for the appeal. The appeal will involve a review of the original decision. Any student dissatisfied at that stage will have access to an independent appeals scrutiny process.

Every effort will be made to provide a calculated grade for as many students as possible, provided there is credible and satisfactory evidence, from an appropriate source, on which an estimated percentage mark can be based. Where this is not possible, students will have the opportunity to sit the 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations at a later date when safe to do so.

It should be noted that the Irish University Association (IUA) announced on 25 June that, in the extraordinary circumstances of 2020, students who have applied for a Calculated Grade in a subject or subjects in the Leaving Certificate 2020, with a view to satisfying matriculation/basic minimum entry requirements and for whom the CGEO has been unable to award such a grade in the subject(s), will be granted an exemption in the subject(s) solely for matriculation/basic minimum entry purposes. Full details can be found on the IUA website.

A total of 683 students have yet to complete the initial registration process for Calculated Grades. Of these, some 80 are out-of-school learners. The Calculated Grades Executive Office continues to attempt to engage with those students yet to register, through making direct contact with the students themselves.