Today, Tuesday 12th January 2021, the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union issued an open letter to the Minister for Education & Skills Norma Foley calling for the traditional state exams to be replaced with an alternative format for 2021. 

The ISSU is currently consulting with students in its 480 member schools, and through this process plans to bring forward student views and potential solutions for the 2021 state examinations in due course. A survey launched last week by the Union has already received 20,000 responses, the results of which will be published this weekend. A Town Hall of member student councils will also take place this weekend to hear further student feedback on the state of online learning, school closures and the state examinations. 

Speaking on the matter, ISSU President Reuban Murray stated “Students are really struggling, particularly those in exam years. Leaving Certificate students are entering their fourth month of online learning of a 2-year senior cycle, and even though we knew that schools were not able to deliver online learning to the same standard last year, these gaps have not been filled or addressed in the intervening months. Now we are looking at an uneven playing field for students in the home stretch towards exams, and student stress and anxiety is unbelievably high”. 

Regarding a potential solution to the state examinations, ISSU Education Officer Alicia O’Sullivan stated “This is something that still needs to be answered by the Department, and we will be feeding into these decisions by continuing to consult with our members to ensure that we are representing their views and concerns correctly. We want to work with the Department and other education stakeholders by exploring innovative ways that the exam classes of 2021 can be awarded grades fairly and safely, and we now have the time to evaluate these processes and give guidance to students. This needs to be decided on soon however; we cannot string students along with months of uncertainty and backtracking on decisions to the detriment of students’ welfare. We do know however, that the traditional State Exams cannot go ahead as was initially planned”. 

The ISSU will be welcoming students from member schools to join a Town Hall Webinar this Saturday 16th January from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Students may register at issu.ie/town-hall

The ISSU Survey on Reopening of Schools & State Examinations will run until Thursday 14th January at 12pm. This survey is open to all second-level students. 

The Letter sent to Minister Foley can be read below. 

______________________

Dear Minister Foley, 

I am writing on behalf of the  Irish Second-level Students’ Union’ to inform you of the ISSU’s position on the State Exams, as of today, Tuesday 12th Jan 2021.

Last year, students, parents, teachers, the Department, the SEC and members of the advisory group were subjected to an exhausting and prolonged period of stress, anxiety and fear. This cannot happen again. If we tether ourselves to the idea of trying to make the traditional state examinations go ahead then we will repeat our mistakes from last year. It will cause students, stakeholders and the Department another prolonged and unnecessary burden of fear, anxiety and pain. We need to ask ourselves what the weeks and months ahead will look like for us all, whilst reflecting on the strain the last few months have brought.  

Scotland and Wales cancelled their exams in recognition of the mental duress that students and the entire system would face and we need to ask ourselves - have we given our situation as much consideration? The calls from teachers, students and parents that we are now hearing are not going to get any quieter. It is now clear to the ISSU that the traditional 2021 State Exams cannot go ahead as normal. If we take a considered, pragmatic and compassionate decision now, we will avoid the detrimental impact of a rushed plan with minimal stakeholder input that we suffered last year. 

The loss of in-person tuition for exam years for the month of January, paired with the loss of up to 3 months tuition in 2020, are important factors in us bringing forward this position - but it is the duress, the mental damage and the anguish which students have endured during this pandemic that has prompted us to come to this conclusion. We can no longer justify this. 

We are about to subject the entire system and ourselves to this taxing strain again. Let us recognise the situation we are in and move forward with a clear path. Last year we spent too long trying to justify holding the exams "by hook or by crook". Let's not make the same mistake.                                   

The ISSU is calling on the Department of Education and all stakeholders to meet together to evaluate our options for alternative State Exams and openly discuss the changes we must make. 

Please consider this letter and the merits of the points we have raised.

Is mise le meas, 

Reuban Murray, ISSU President