THOUSANDS OF JUNIOR Cert students who were expecting to receive their results this month will have to wait an additional two weeks after the State Exams Commission (SEC) said it had to delay releasing the grades until 4 October. 

The SEC said that the reconfiguration of the Leaving Cert exam process had led to the Junior Cert delays. The rechecking of Leaving Cert scripts is currently the SEC’s priority, it said in a statement. 

Traditionally, junior students would receive their results in the middle of September.

In a statement this evening, the SEC said: “In February last, the SEC advised schools that ‘As a result of the need to prioritise activities associated with the Leaving Certificate appeals, the results of the 2019 Junior Cycle examinations are due for issue to schools in late September.

“The SEC is planning to conclude the resulting processes for Junior Cycle in late September.”

“The State Examinations Commission notified schools when the Leaving Certificate Appeals time frame was reconfigured for the 2019 examinations that there would be an impact on the issue date for the Junior Cycle results.

“The immediate priority of the SEC is to achieve the deadline of week ending 20th  September it has set for issuing the results of the Leaving Certificate appeals.”

Anger

Sinn Féin Education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that delays the results are unacceptable and has called on Minister Joe McHugh to both explain this delay and apologise to both students and parents who anxiously await these results.

Speaking this evening, he said: “It is simply unacceptable that students who sat their Junior Cert in June of this year will not get their results until at least October.
 
“Results are generally issued to students who’ve sat these exams in the second week of September, but it seems it has been delayed for reasons that have yet to be explained.
 
“It is my understanding that schools are yet to be notified and are due to receive correspondence from the State Exams Commission this coming Friday; days before results had been expected.”

The Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), Clive Byrne, said he acknowledges the understandable disappointment that students and parents may feel by the fact that this year’s Junior Certificate results will be delayed until 4 October. 

However, he said he welcomed the fact that clarity has now been brought to this issue, and in particular that the results will now be available on a Friday.

“Distributing results at the end of the school week will give students and schools additional time and space to assess their performance and allow teachers to give students any extra support they require.

“The NAPD is glad to see the prioritisation of the Leaving Certificate appeals process as the changes have gone some way in easing the stress placed on students as they seek to move on to third level,” he said.