Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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319. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reverse the decision to reduce the content in set works to be examined in leaving certificate music examination 2023. [45591/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious that students who are due to take their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2023 have experienced disruption to their learning

On 2 September 2022, I announced that adjustments would be made to the 2023 Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations. Details of these adjustments were issued to schools on 8 September 2022 to ensure that students and staff could familiarise themselves with any changes, thus providing as much clarity and certainty to students as possible at the start of the school year.

These arrangements acknowledge the disruption faced by these students because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I consider that these arrangements are proportionate to the students’ experience and loss of learning, and are educationally appropriate. The adjustments ensure that the overall structure of exams remains intact but allows for greater choice for students.

In relation to Music specifically, the adjustments published recently are in line with the adjustments that were put in place for students at this stage of the school year in 2020 and 2021, the difference being that Group B set works are replaced with Group A set works. As it is not possible for technical reasons to add more choice in an aural paper, it is envisaged that informing teachers and students as to the movements that would not be assessed would ease the workload at revision time. Extra choice has been given in relation to the only question on the paper for which that is possible.