Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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344. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which she plans to avoid over assessment of leaving certificate students who are due to sit written exams in 2021 but may be subject to calculated grades in the event of an outbreak of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41590/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is my firm intention to operate the conventional 2021 state examinations, with appropriate contingency built in, in line with prevailing public health advice. This is shared by the SEC, which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. 

My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and which led the decision not to run the state examinations this summer.

In the context of the return to schools of students for the 2020/21 academic year my Department published a range of documentation and support material as part of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, which is available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool. That schools have remained open throughout level 5 restrictions has been very encouraging.

Specific guidance was provided to post-primary schools in the Returning to School: Guidance on learning and school programmes for post-primary school leaders and teachers. In the guidance on in-school assessment advised that:

It is, however, important that over-assessment is avoided and that an appropriate balance is achieved between formative and summative assessment. The provision of timely feedback to students will be particularly important in this school year given the context where, during the school closure period, the opportunities for and quality of feedback to students on their work varied from school to school and sometimes from subject to subject.

The assessment of students’ learning should reflect the aims and learning outcomes of specifications, priority learning units and syllabuses as relevant, ensuring accessibility to the mode of assessment for all students. In planning for assessment, the use of self- assessment by learners of their own progress, as well as peer assessment could be usefully included as a strategy to support assessment activities.

On 21 August, I announced a series of changes that would be made to assessment arrangements for both Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021. This announcement was accompanied by a published document detailing these changes, Assessment Arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Examinations 2021, and forms part of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School.

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 were arrived at through discussions between my Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders. 

As schools have significant autonomy in determining how to sequence and pace learning for students in their schools, no centrally prescribed adjustment of the curriculum and courses of study would have been effective for students taking the certificate examinations in 2021. Consequently, the most appropriate way to reflect and take account of the challenges for students that have occurred in 2019/20 and may occur in 2020/21 was to incorporate adjustments to the certificate examinations in 2021.

These changes to the national assessment arrangements were 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 over time. The changes provide reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.

Further clarification on the assessment arrangements for 2021 for certain subjects will issue shortly.

The SEC has valuable learning from the experience of running the 2020 November examinations, notwithstanding that the numbers taking these examinations is significantly lower than the number due to sit examinations in 2021.  The measures relating to COVID-19 that have been put in place for the November examinations will be considered as part of the planning for examinations in 2021.  

The SEC has commenced its contingency planning for the 2021 examinations, recognising that a flexible and agile approach is necessary in light of the continuing fast-moving environment linked to COVID-19.  It is not intended that there would be any change to the length of the written examinations. Project briefs for relevant subjects have issued earlier than usual and practical coursework will be submitted two weeks earlier than normal as a contingency measure. Teachers are being encouraged to plan and undertake these projects as early as possible in the programme of study.  These changes to the Leaving Certificate assessment arrangements for 2021 are deigned to provide reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.

In addition, an advisory group of key stakeholders, which advised on altered arrangements for the 2020 state examinations, was reconvened on 25 November in an online meeting to perform a similar role in respect of the 2021 examinations. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the SEC, the NCCA and the Department, including the National Educational Psychological Service. Representatives from the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are also represented on the advisory group to ensure liaison with the third level sector.

Other documents published by my Department to support the return to school include Guidance for Practical Subjects in Post-Primary Schools and Centres for Education and Returning to school: Guidance on learning and school programmes for post primary school leaders and teachers. These documents provide guidance for teachers and schools that is specific to each practical subject area, so that students can be facilitated to actively engage with their learning.  All documentation published is available on www.gov.ie/backtoschool.