Written answers

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Department of Education and Skills

State Examinations

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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291. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she engaged with a teaching organisation (details supplied) on her announced changes to the Leaving Certificate. [22358/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, on 29 March I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.

The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:

- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century

- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system

- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels

In my announcement I set out a clear vision for Senior Cycle, building upon the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA’s) Advisory Report. The NCCA’s review of senior cycle involved an extensive range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders.

In particular, the second phase of the NCCA's review, which took place over 2018 and 2019, involved a school review and national seminar series. Teachers, students and parents in a representative cross-section of schools nationwide took part in a review of the existing senior cycle.

The third phase of the review also invited individuals and organisations, including teachers and teacher representative organisations, to participate in a public consultation process, leading to the publication of a Public Consultation Report in December 2019.

The NCCA also commissioned external expertise to support the process, including the ESRI and the OECD.  

I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received correspondence from the organisation referred to regarding that announcement. This correspondence is currently being examined by my officials, and a response will issue shortly.

Photo of Holly CairnsHolly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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292. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will publish the research on the pedagogical and other benefits of moving English paper one to the end of fifth year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22359/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, on 29 March I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.

In my announcement I set out a clear vision for Senior Cycle, building upon the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA’s) Advisory Report. The NCCA’s review of senior cycle involved an extensive range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders.

The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:

- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century

- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system

- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels

The reforms I announced include initiatives to spread the assessment load for students and do so in a way that enhances student wellbeing.

In the programme of work ahead we will move to a model that uses other forms of assessment beyond terminal written examinations, over a less concentrated time period, in line with international best practice. It will enable us to maintain the high standards and quality that we need to continue to achieve in our schools to serve our students well. It is vital that the form of assessment we use both reflects excellence in standards and truly enables all students to showcase their abilities.

Bearing in mind the significant assessment load at the end of sixth year, as an interim measure I have asked the SEC to immediately alter the timing of Paper One in both Irish and English so that Paper One would take place at the end of fifth year commencing for fifth years entering fifth year in September 2023.

In making this announcement, I have responded to a broad consensus for spreading the assessment load. In this regard, the NCCA Advisory Report emphasised the need to reduce the focus on the final examination period and the stress experienced by students associated with this time.

Since September last, the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has held a number of hearings on Senior Cycle reform. Throughout these hearings, a desire to spread assessment over a greater period has been a recurring theme on which there has been broad consensus.

I have also listened to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which made a number of concluding observations in its 2016 periodic report on Ireland.  The Committee expressed its concern about the pressure that the Leaving Certificate examination places on children and recommended that Ireland consider reforming the Leaving Certificate to reduce the stress caused to children.

Importantly, I have also listened to students themselves who have called for the spread of assessment and striking a balance between final exams and other forms of assessment.

As I have said, altering the timing of Paper One in Irish and English is an interim measure designed to spread the assessment load and thereby reduce the stress experienced by students, pending the full development of a variety of examination components in all subjects. It should also be noted that the weighting and importance of Paper One in each of the subjects has not been changed or reduced.

The NCCA will publish in September 2023 a schedule of subject specification reviews which will provide the roadmap through which all subject specifications beyond those being introduced in September 2024 will be given effect. The revision of the English specifications through this process will allow for a fundamental consideration of the appropriate assessment approach to be taken at that time and which has regard to the introduction of teacher assessment for all subjects.

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