Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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431. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when students who left school after completing the school-based junior cycle assessment in 2020 will receive their State certificate of completion of the junior cycle from her Department; and if no student who left school after this junior cycle programme will be disadvantaged in taking up apprenticeships due to the fact that they have not yet received this certificate. [9641/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My predecessor as Minister for Education and Skills announced revised arrangements for the Junior Cycle 2020 on 29 April last.

Under the revised arrangements and in light of the exceptional circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were asked as soon as possible after the end of the 2019/20 school year, to furnish students with a written school report on their learning achievements in each subject, short course and/or priority learning unit as appropriate.

The work and achievement of students who were in third year of Junior Cycle in the academic year 2019/20 would also be recognised with a State Certificate of Completion from the Department of Education.

Work is ongoing in the development of this certificate and my Department will contact schools shortly to verify the Junior Cycle data held regarding the subjects, short courses and priority learning units being taken by students, as appropriate. This data will inform the production of the State Certificate of Completion, which will issue in the weeks following the data verification period.

My Department is aware of some former Junior Cycle 2020 students who are seeking to commence apprenticeships. Following consultation with SOLAS, as an interim measure, for eligibility purposes and pending issue of the State Certificate of Completion, my Department is providing on request a letter of confirmation to those who are due to receive the State Certificate of Completion.

In order for the letter of confirmation to be prepared individuals or their parents/guardians are being advised to get in touch with my Department to provide permission for contact to be made with the student’s school in order to obtain the relevant information .

All students who have responded to my department has been provided with a letter of confirmation.

It should be noted that the above interim measure only applies to individuals who were due to sit the Junior Cycle examinations in 2020.