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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said a proposal will be brought forward to Cabinet relating to the Leaving Cert exams by Minister for Education Joe McHugh.
McHugh is expected to make a recommendation that this year’s Leaving Certificate examinations be cancelled.
The exams are understood to be replaced by a system in which students will be awarded points or grades based on their classwork.
McHugh will propose his idea to Cabinet when it meets at 11am today. They will discuss it and vote to reach a final decision.
Speaking to Newstalk’s The Pat Kenny Show, Varadkar said McHugh will issue a statement on this decision this afternoon.
“So much uncertainty has been created by this pandemic and we want to be able to give [students] the certainty that they will be able to start college or an apprenticeship or whatever they decide to do in October, in Autumn of this year,” Varadkar said.
He added that the Leaving Cert is a “very fair, very objective” way of assessing educational achievement in school.
If it’s not possible to proceed for reasons related to the pandemic, I think then it’s really important that the Department of Education and the education partners come up with an alternative that is fair or at least as fair as it possibly can be.
“No matter what decision is made this morning, there will be a lot of people who are disappointed in the decision, and there will be a lot of questions.
“A huge amount of work has been done by minister McHugh and others in the education sector, preparing answers to those questions for today so that our sixth years have certainty.”
Varadkar said he was not notified before Fianna Fáil released a statement last weekend calling for the cancellation of the Leaving Cert.
“Different parties have expressed different views on this and parties have changed their position on this and you know we listen to what people have to say whether it’s other political parties, whether it’s the National Parents Council, Secondary Students’ Union,” he said.
In terms of the plan for schools to re-open in September, he said the government is observing the situation in other European countries where they are starting to re-open schools now.
“And that learning experience is going to be very useful for us when schools open in September,” Varadkar said.
But I’m sure there will be problems in the first week or two, but better that those problems arise at the start of the school year in September than in the middle of a State exam.
Speculation about the cancellation of the Leaving Cert exams has been mounting since reports emerged last night.
Meetings have been held in recent days by the Department of Education and Skills with a range of stakeholders including representatives of students, parents, teachers, the State Examinations Commission, the National Educational Psychological Service and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
In an earlier statement, a department spokesperson said the advisory group “continued its discussions on the practicalities of holding the Leaving Certificate examinations, given the constraints of social distancing and other measures that may be required, based on the available medical advice”.
The group also discussed alternative assessment models, and received updates on the measures that have been put in place to support students’ wellbeing.
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I miss when all we talked about was brexit
@eoin carroll: I miss when people came up with original jokes.
@Peter Clancy: I wasn’t joking
@eoin carroll: I miss when Brexit was the Apocalypse
So he knows what there gonna do .. hes made a decision on it .. and now he make a statement making an announcement about a statement hes gonna announce in the afternoon .. why not just tell us now ..
@John kavanagh: They have to pad out the day with things to do I guess.
@John kavanagh: And miss the opportunity to grand-stand?, no way, we need him in charge right!?!?…we hang on his every word, what an ‘acting’ leader!, ‘playing a blinder’…”by hook or by crook” FG are needed to run this country [note: Sarcasm!...in case people are wondering]
@John kavanagh: Because if you had bothered to read the piece, you’d see that there’s a cabinet meeting at 11 to discuss it, and presumably sign off on it.
Unless you want one single person making all the decisions without any collective input or discussion or oversight? There’s a word for that I think….
@JDel: You are dealing with headline readers. They don’t do intelligent. Instead, they rush straight to the comments section to put the boot into the government. Anti-authority is their way.
@Peter Clancy: And you happy with how the LC has been handled?….seems FG don’t do intelligent either…
FG out!…anything but them…I’d even prefer FF/Green confidence and supply with others…this is a mess!…or have you a different opinion!?
@Spartacus Ireland: the LC was handled fine. The date was set. Then people started moaning, political point scoring, saying there was confusion when there wasn’t thereby introducing confusion and now we’ll get predicted grades or something that basically all students that don’t get what they want will call into question. It’s a mess created by mainly opposition groups, not the government.
@Bernard Sweeney: Strong leaders confident in their plans, stick to them
@John kavanagh: it to make us wait with baited breath. Cant wait for the legal challenges when the students get an assessment that does not reach expectations. Most students are not doing exams so use other class rooms to ensure social distancing and run the exams with extra supervision.
@JDel: According to reports from F.G. T.Ds certain unelected ministers are making decisions without consultation.
I suspect the real reason for canceling a July LC is that the teachers don’t want to give up a portion of their summer holidays
@James Smart: Well that’s complete rubbish as the teachers had already agreed to the previous plan of holding the Leaving Cert and teaching the 6th years for a few weeks in summer. Most teachers are as in the dark as anyone else. Give it a rest with the teacher bashing, it’s boring and your bias is just getting old and tired at this stage.
@James Smart: I’m a teacher and I’m in favour of going in to teach for two weeks in July as are all my colleagues. Both teachers unions backed this as well. I know just as much as the rest of you do regarding the LC. All I do know if that I’ve got two classes of anxious sixth years who are not in the right head space with this ongoing crisis, and who I’m supporting through all of this. Quit the teacher bashing. It’s getting boring.
@James Smart: Ironic surname there, James. Speaking as a teacher, predicted grades is the last thing I want to be faced with now and most colleagues I’ve spoken to have favoured the July exam proposal. If it’s not safe to go back though, it’s probably the only alternative.
@Longlin: the schools performance in the state exams going back 3 years are also to be included in grading according to news reports. Next step will be continuous assessment and school ratings all by the backdoor.
@James Smart: Well if you have to defend the government, deflection is the best option.
I’d be terrified now of it were me. There was two teachers in particular I wouldn’t trust in a million years to grade me fairly back in the day. On the flip side there was one who’d probably up me a grade.
@King B: Or if you have the politicians son or daughter in your class?, or certain very vocal ‘pushy’ Newstalk daytime presenters that didn’t want the LC to go ahead, or even worse, a local thug’s kid in your class that doesn’t like what you gave their child?…really integrity could be totally gone, lets see what the plan is, but it better be a good one!…and I wouldn’t be confident after the torture they are putting these poor kids through changing their minds every few weeks….”by hook or by crook” he said!….
The proposed exam date is almost three months away, why pull the plug now? I’m sure the teacher’s are willing to help the kids with online teaching until then with classroom based teaching for the two weeks before the exams. The country should be almost full functioning by then, we have very clever teachers and principals that with three months planning could make this work. I don’t see the need to call of the exams so soon. The only one’s leading this were the teachers unions who appeared to only want to ensure teachers pay and holiday time we’re not impacted. Is that the real reason why the exams are being called off? Most teachers I spoke to can’t believe the exams are being called off so early. They want them to go ahead.
@Edwardson Mike: Not true.
@Edwardson Mike: PREACH
@Edwardson Mike: Go down to the question about the position of the ASTI regarding the LC and you’ll find the following:
1. The ASTI welcomes in principle that the LC will go ahead this year.
2. It’s confirmed its support for Minister McHugh’s plan to hold it in June but also believes teachers’ concerns should be addressed.
3. They’ve met with the Dept of Ed to discuss the plans and raise any relevant issues. In these meetings they’ve again confirmed their support for the proposals.
4. ASTI has repeatedly stated that its members fully support their students at this time as evidenced by their great efforts to adapting to teaching online.
https://www.asti.ie/news/faqs-on-state-examinations-2020-and-continuity-of-teaching-l/
Your statement is false I’m afraid.
@Daniel Howard: Ah okay believe the ASTI who sold out the newly graduated teachers but now totally deny doing that or knowing about that.
@Edwardson Mike: Ah I see. So your biased opinion is fact, while the minutes of recorded meetings, agreed on by all stake holders, media statements, clarification after clarification, all agreed to … is all false. I see…
So teachers are expected to calmly grade their students based on their previous work. Sounds fine. They they think about the grind schools and the fee-paying ones and the ones whose prinicipals are intent on keeping their top places on the school league tables that newspapers have so irresponsibly promoted over the years to boost circulation. When you know that these institutions are going to dish out A1s like snuff at a wake are you being fair to your own students by strictly grading them according to what they have achieved up to now? The tendency will be teachers to ensure their own students are not left behind, leading colossal grade inflation which will make results meaningless.
@Brian Hanney: have you ever heard of the bell curve.
Can I just ask…why do we think we need FG in government?…
Even if no SF in gov, what about minority FF and Greens with confidence and supply with others like SF?…it happened with FG last time around…FG out!, useless imo!
FG have convinced everyone they are needed…they are not!!!
@Spartacus Ireland: SF don’t even have the confidence of their local representatives in Cork.
@Peter Clancy: Seems Leo doesn’t trust his “leaky” ministers either LOL
If teachers have to grade their own pupils then I believe most students will get far better grades than they would have gotten in the Leaving cert. Firstly the teachers will feel that they have been put in an invidious position which brings huge responsibility and so as to give the pupil the best chance in life grades will be higher than usual. It could also eliminate the chance of legal challenges to the grades. Most likely there will be controversy no matter what.
@Tom Reilly: The opposite could well happen as well. Some students have been preparing for an exam and not just to impress their teacher every day. Either way it’s completely unfair on the teachers and on the students.
@Tom Reilly: Disagree with your points there and can easily see a host of legal challenges as well as teachers in a precarious position for not awarding, or for not being allowed to award, the grade a student or a parent deserves. We’ve no idea what form this will take, how much input teachers will have or if we’re gonna have to base this off the students lasts tests. Massive issues all round with students being punished for mistakes in previous exams like Mocks without being given an opportunity to fix them. Then there’s the issue or poor grading from Mocks, I had to send a set back this year and last year, or what about teachers who mark strictly to try and improve students? Hopefully it works out but the stress for teachers & students lays at the door of Fianna Fáil now for pushing this
@Tom Reilly: As for better grades, I trusted and believed in the students who’ve been putting the work in to get deserved marks, that opportunity has been taken away from them now. Hopefully we’ll still be allowed to award them what they deserve but that’s all up in the air now
An announcement about a future announcement which will announce something which people want to know about now.
Using the media to stay relevant and hold onto power methinks!
@ed o brien: You thinks like a numb skull.
Media know already. Lieos gang and media are 1.
Love that, surely will NOT get the grades I need for veterinary science, thank you government. Best decision ever
@jil_schoenegger: Well, it’s a long time since I did the LC, and being a Vet is what I wanted too…didn’t get there after two tries but it made me a better person for trying…I hope you get your chance to try and it’s a terrible pity that the government keep messing about with decisions relating to your futures…maybe there will be something in the plan that might make it possible for you this year…best wishes
What time is the announcement
Hmm i wonder what the announcement will be
hope they leave it to Sunday or Monday to announce.
They announce its cancelled today in that weather there will be parks gaa pitches with kids drinking all over Ireland.
There already queuing outside off-licences waiting for the nod.
@OhToBeARossie: What’s wrong with a socially distanced can or two? I can tell you now if my birthday rolls round and we’re still under lockdown i will enjoy a drink in the park with a friend 2 metres apart.
@Lisa Rowe: u must not have had many friends there’s 100s of pupils in a leaving cert year try 30 of 40, 18 year old with a boom box a few dozen slabs and a couple of bottles of pink gin social distancing will be 6 inches not 6 feet.
A
This frenzy was whipped up by FF last weekend. I have very little confidence that students will now get fair grades. Different tests, different schools, different teachers, different marketing schemes, different principals exerting pressure on teachers, etc…… teachers will be forced to predict a grade (apparently) based on all these very different things. As a teacher of LCHL Maths for the last 26 years, I have no experience in predictive grading. I hope whatever is put in place does not put the onus on teachers to essentially decide who gets a college place or not! I hope whatever is put in place, will be perceived as fair!
For everyone bashing the predicted grades saying that teachers can and will unfairly mark certain students look up the Bell Curve and it will explain everything you need to know. Making kids hang on and on and then sit the exams is causing them severe mental stress. They will be forgoing their summer holidays, possible summer jobs and relaxing before they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
This is so unfair the message from the department has been consistent that the leaving cert is happening. My daughter Who is trying to do medicine has managed to refocus 3 times and continued to work 8 to 10 hrs a day.
Now just lost.
I feel this is massive incompetence, a sudden shift of the goalposts, clearly lacking a clear direction from the beginning.
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