Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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1007. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the steps being taken to ensure the Leaving Certificate class of 2025 is not disadvantaged in comparison to students who deferred from previous years due to grade adjustments introduced in the context of the pandemic; if she will clarify how fairness and consistency are being maintained in grading standards; and if she will provide assurances that no cohort is placed at a competitive disadvantage under the current system. [20613/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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1008. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an assessment has been carried out to identify any competitive disadvantages for the Leaving Certificate class of 2025 in comparison to students who deferred from 2024; if she will outline the measures being taken to ensure fairness for all students; and if she will provide clarity on the steps being implemented to prevent inequities in the grading process for this year’s cohort. [20614/25]

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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1009. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an assessment of the percentage disadvantage, if any, that the Leaving Certificate class of 2025 faces in comparison to students who deferred from previous years; and if she will outline the measures being taken to ensure equitable opportunities for the current cohort of students. [20615/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1007, 1008 and 1009 together.

Following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years: adjustments to examination and assessments arrangements, and a post-marking adjustment to outcomes. This post-marking adjustment has ensured that results in the aggregate have remained the same on average since 2021.

As is widely recognised, it is appropriate to return over time to normal arrangements for Leaving Certificate outcomes. On 17 April 2024, the then-Minister announced that the return to normal Leaving Certificate outcomes would begin in 2025 and that it would be a gradual reduction in line with the commitment that there would be no “cliff-edge” in overall results on the aggregate.

I am very conscious of the stress of the exam period on students and do not want to add to this stress. While grade inflation must be reduced, it must be done in a way that is as fair as possible.

For 2025, therefore, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will again apply a post-marking adjustment once marking is complete. This adjustment will bring results in the aggregate up to a point broadly midway between 2020 and 2021 levels.

This initial reduction is being done at a slower and more gradual pace than grade inflation occurred during the pandemic. Leaving Certificate grades rose by 4.4% in 2020, and in 2021 they rose by an additional 2.6%, bringing the overall increase to approximately 7 percentage points over 2019 levels. Results in the aggregate in 2025 are expected to be above 2019 levels by at least 5.5 percentage points on average.

This very gradual pace aims to minimise the impact on students as far as possible.

In addition, the examinations and assessment adjustments that have applied in recent years continue to apply for students in 2025 and 2026. These assist students by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations. In some cases, the adjustment measures provide more time for tuition by, for example, reducing preparatory work for practical examinations.

Access to higher education is a matter for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). My Department is working closely with DFHERIS, which has emphasised it is strongly committed to supporting students as evidenced in the creation of additional places in a number of high-demand courses over the past number of years. These additional places have been created in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and therapy disciplines among others. Further additionality is in place for 2025, including a new programme in dentistry.

It is important to note that the percentage of students receiving a CAO offer of one of their top three choice preferences is consistently high each year, over 80%. My Department has been advised that the proportion of higher education entrants who completed their Leaving Certificate the previous year is typically around 13% and that there are no indications at this time that the proportion of students applying with pre-2025 Leaving Certificate results varies significantly this year compared to previous years.