Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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541. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the gap between the publication of the leaving certificate results and the publication of the predicted grades by teachers; if the grades from teachers will be published at the same time or shortly after the results of the exam; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21846/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The results of the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades were made available to all students who opted to receive them at 9.00 am on 7 September via the Calculated Grades Student Portal. I would like to congratulate all students for their achievements in what has been a very trying time for them due to the impact of COVID-19 on their education.

Results were also provided to schools at the same time in order to allow them to be prepared to provide supports for students on the day. Schools were advised to provide support to students in an appropriate way on the day, through enabling students to come to the school if they wish at a scheduled time, following COVID-19 and health and safety protocols, to meet with members of the Student Support Team such as Guidance Counsellors, Year Heads, Tutors and Chaplains.

The Calculates Grades Student Portal will reopen on 14 September at 9.00 am and will provide students with the subject percentage marks they were awarded by the Calculated Grades process.

Within the Student Portal, students will also on 14 September be able to access the estimated percentage marks provided by their schools. Students may wish to have access to and consider this data if they are considering an appeal of their Calculated Grade.

Students who are unhappy with the Calculated Grades they receive in one or more subjects will have the opportunity to submit an appeal.

The appeals process will open on 14 September at 9.00 am and students will be able to access it via the Calculated Grades Student Portal. Students will have until 5.00 pm on 16 September to submit an appeal.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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542. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the further measures that will be required regarding the adaptions which provide more choice in exam questions to the 2021 leaving and junior certificates should the 2020/2021 academic year be disrupted due to further Covid-19 related restrictions; the contingency measures for the leaving and junior certificates 2021 in such a scenario; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21847/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 21 August, I announced a series of changes that will be made to the assessment arrangements for both Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021. This announcement was accompanied by a document published by my Department detailing these changes, Assessment Arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Examinations 2021.

These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the 2019/20 school year and to factor in for some further possible loss of learning time in the 2020/21 school year as a contingency measure. As the loss of learning through school closures will have affected students’ engagement with their course of study in different ways, the adjustments put in place will play to students’ strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice. The adjustments have been arrived at through discussions between my Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders. These key stakeholders included teacher unions and school management bodies. Representatives of students and parents were also informed of the revised arrangements in advance of publication.

These changes to the national assessment arrangements have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, as these principles apply to assessment and examinations and refer to student to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons. The changes provide clarity, certainty and reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.

The SEC has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The SEC intends to operate the 2021 examinations as normal, with appropriate contingency built in, in line with prevailing public health advice. There will be no change to the length of the written examinations. For subjects where the SEC issues project briefs during the 2020/21 school year, the intention is to generally issue these at least four weeks earlier than normal. For subjects with course work completion dates typically late in the school year, schools will be asked to submit this coursework two weeks earlier than normal as a contingency measure. In this context teachers are being encouraged to plan and undertake these projects as early as possible in the programme of study.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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543. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the stakeholders who were consulted on the adaptions to the 2021 leaving certificate and junior certificate examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21848/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 21 August, I announced a series of changes that will be made to the assessment arrangements for both Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021. This announcement was accompanied by a document published by my Department detailing these changes, Assessment Arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Examinations 2021.

These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the 2019/20 school year and to factor in for some further possible loss of learning time in the 2020/21 school year as a contingency measure. As the loss of learning through school closures will have affected students’ engagement with their course of study in different ways, the adjustments put in place will play to students’ strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice. The adjustments have been arrived at through discussions between my Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders. These key stakeholders included teacher unions and school management bodies. Representatives of students and parents were also informed of the revised arrangements in advance of publication.

These changes to the national assessment arrangements have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, as these principles apply to assessment and examinations and refer to student to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons. The changes provide clarity, certainty and reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.

The SEC has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The SEC intends to operate the 2021 examinations as normal, with appropriate contingency built in, in line with prevailing public health advice. There will be no change to the length of the written examinations. For subjects where the SEC issues project briefs during the 2020/21 school year, the intention is to generally issue these at least four weeks earlier than normal. For subjects with course work completion dates typically late in the school year, schools will be asked to submit this coursework two weeks earlier than normal as a contingency measure. In this context teachers are being encouraged to plan and undertake these projects as early as possible in the programme of study.