Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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590. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the students in the five special schools for children at risk in Ireland will be afforded the opportunity to sit their junior certificate examinations in June 2021 given there are no leaving certificate examinations held in these schools and no public health concerns thereby arising; if she will engage directly with the schools in relation to the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16781/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the Government Decision on 17 February last, the normal Junior Cycle Examination processes were cancelled.

Given the priority that needed to be accorded to the Leaving Certificate examinations and the challenge associated with running them, it was not considered feasible to run a set of Junior Cycle Examinations also.

Last year, early school leavers and adult learners were offered an opportunity to sit Junior Cycle examinations at a later point. Similar measures will be implemented for this year, with Junior Cycle Examinations for early school leavers and adult learners set to begin in October 2021.

Guidance and further information relating to the Junior Cycle of 2021 has now been published by my Department and is available at .

These guidelines include details on the alternative form of certification designed to meet the current exceptional circumstances. A state certificate of completion of the Junior Cycle from my Department will be issued stating students have completed their Junior Cycle programme of study. In addition to this certificate, a school report detailing the learning achievements through the Junior Cycle programme should be issued to students by their schools. Further details are available in the guidelines.

To avoid any unfair disadvantage for young people wishing to access National Craft Apprenticeships, it has been determined that the 2020 or 2021 State Certificate and School Report provided to students who were due to complete their examinations in 2020 or 2021 will be deemed to be an ‘approved equivalent’ as per the eligibility requirements for said apprenticeships.

Schools will shortly be provided with further guidance on continuing to engage this year group in online learning and assessment during the period of school closure and through in-person learning when schools re-open.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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591. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the students in the five special schools for children at risk in Ireland will be afforded the opportunity to sit their junior certificate examinations in June 2021; the reason special schools are not represented (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16782/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As part of the Government Decision on 17 February last, the normal Junior Cycle Examination processes were cancelled.

Given the priority that needed to be accorded to the Leaving Certificate examinations and the challenge associated with running them, it was not considered feasible to run a set of Junior Cycle Examinations also.

Last year, early school leavers and adult learners were offered an opportunity to sit Junior Cycle examinations at a later point. Similar measures will be implemented for this year, with Junior Cycle Examinations for early school leavers and adult learners set to begin in October 2021.

Guidance and further information relating to the Junior Cycle of 2021 has now been published by my Department and is available at .

These guidelines include details on the alternative form of certification designed to meet the current exceptional circumstances. A state certificate of completion of the Junior Cycle from my Department will be issued stating students have completed their Junior Cycle programme of study. In addition to this certificate, a school report detailing the learning achievements through the Junior Cycle programme should be issued to students by their schools. Further details are available in the guidelines.

To avoid any unfair disadvantage for young people wishing to access National Craft Apprenticeships, it has been determined that the 2020 or 2021 State Certificate and School Report provided to students who were due to complete their examinations in 2020 or 2021 will be deemed to be an ‘approved equivalent’ as per the eligibility requirements for said apprenticeships.

Schools will shortly be provided with further guidance on continuing to engage this year group in online learning and assessment during the period of school closure and through in-person learning when schools re-open.

The planning work underway in respect of the State Examinations in 2021 is being assisted by an Advisory Group of key stakeholders. The Advisory Group has been convened to advise Government on all of the various issues arising in relation to the holding of the 2021 examinations, including public health considerations and appropriate contingency measures. The Advisory Group, which was initially constituted in April 2020, was reconvened in November 2020 and includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education, including the National Educational Psychological Service.

Membership of the group is extensive and provides significant experience and expertise of the education sector, in respect of all recognised school types and students in all settings.