Junior Cert - Final Proposal
The ISSU welcomes the decision, by Minister Joe McHugh,on the revised arrangements for the Junior Certificate State Examinations previously deferred to Autumn 2020. The decision has been made to allow schools to make the final decision in assessing and reporting on students achievements and learning .
ISSU members,from the Junior Certificate cohort, were overwhelmingly in favour of cancellation of examinations. 77% of Junior Cycle participants, who responded to the ISSU survey on State Examinations, selected the cancellation of examinations as their first preference. While predicted grading will not be used in the current model, the Department has specified that “schools will be given the autonomy to decide whether to run school-based assessments and what form they take.” Junior Cycle students will receive a written report outlining the broad range of learning they have completed throughout the three year programme.
The ISSU also welcomes clarification that the Department of Education & Skills will provide state certification for completion of the Junior Certificate programme, which is pivotal for students who may choose alternative routes of education and training after completion of this milestone.
I am in Junior Certificate, what do I do now?
Your school will now begin to plan how they are going to complete the assessment and reporting of students' learning and achievements. Schools currently have a reporting mechanism in place and additional resources will be made available to schools to assist in this process.
Assessment reports may be completed based on work completed prior to the school closures and the teachers professional knowledge of each students’ learning and achievement. Schools may want to continue with some form of additional assessment or end of year assignment.The options for assessment are outlined in the Department of Education and Skills official statement. In circumstances where students are unable to undertake any additional assessment due to issues arising from the Covid-19 crisis the assessment of students’ learning and report on achievement may be solely based on the work completed prior to the closure of schools.We encourage schools to be mindful and aware of the digital divide, special educational needs and resources available to students at home, if they decide to use assignments to make up the final grade.
We encourage students to contact their own schools with their views on the possibility of exams being held, to bring these views also to the student council, and to liaise with parents and guardians to ensure that this voice is strengthened and united.
Below is the press release in full from the Department of Education, dated 29th April 2020.
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- All third year Junior Cycle students to be awarded certificates for the completion of Junior Cycle by the Department of Education and Skills
- Schools given autonomy to assess students and all students to receive a report on achievement
- Adult learners to be given opportunity to take final Junior Cycle examinations in autumn
The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD has today (Wednesday 29 April 2020) announced revised arrangements for this year’s Junior Cycle.
The decision was taken following recommendations from an advisory group of stakeholders as part of planning for the State Examinations in response to the Covid-19 public health measures and the decision that the Junior Cycle State Examinations will not run this year.
Minister McHugh attended the meeting of the advisory group and thanked the members for their work.
Minister McHugh said:
“In this difficult time for students I have listened to the very strongly-held and well-articulated views of students, parents and other stakeholders,”
“This decision has been made with the health and wellbeing of students, parents and teachers at the forefront of our thinking.
“It gives students and their families more clarity and certainty. It also gives schools freedom to decide how best to assess the progress of students following three years of hard work and learning.”
Under the revised arrangements and in light of the exceptional circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the work and achievement of third year Junior Cycle students will be recognised with a state certificate from the Department of Education and Skills.
As soon as possible after the end of the current school year, students will receive a written school report on their learning achievements in each subject, short course and/or priority learning unit
Schools are also being given autonomy to decide whether to run school-based assessments and what form they take. Options to consider include school-designed examinations, tasks, projects, assignments, essay style questions, presentations, or other tasks agreed at a local level. Guidance for schools on reporting to students and parents, developed with the advice of the advisory group of stakeholders, will be published by the Department.
The State Examinations Commission is also being asked to put in place specific arrangements for adult learners to give them an opportunity to take final Junior Cycle examinations for which they are entered in autumn 2020
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ISSU Logistical Queries Submission on the 2020 State Examinations Contingency Planning
The ISSU are continually advocating to get clarification on all of the concerns and issues which students have raised in relation to the 2020 State Examinations contingency plan. Based on student communications over the last number of weeks ,the ISSU submitted a number of questions,on the 17th of April, to the Department of Education and Skills Advisory group to prioritise and address the huge variety of logistical implications involved in implementing this plan. We are listening, we are raising your concerns and voicing your viewpoints at each meeting and pushing for certainty and fairness to be given.
ISSU Questions for the State Examinations Contingency Plan 2020 submitted on the 17th of April to the Department of Education and Skills Advisory Group.
Logistical Necessities: Dates/Deadlines/ Resourcing
Will the payment of fees due on the 30th of April be lifted to ease the pressure during a time of financial and economic uncertainty?
In light of the current financial difficulties due to the crisis the ISSU recommends that associated fees for State Examinations should be waived for this year.
Will students be compensated in any way for the effects of COVID-19, will the exams be marked exactly the same as they have been in previous years or will special measures for 2020 be put in place?
Incorporation of a “No Detriment” Policy
A 'No Detriment Policy' would ensure that no student would suffer academically because of the crisis.
If this were followed, students would be given a projected grade before they sit their exams. This grade could be based off of their completed coursework and previous school and class exams.
Students would then sit the exams and be encouraged to improve this grade or maintain it. A student cannot get lower than their projected grade as long as they pass the exam.
To compensate for already afforded marks for particular subjects, an agreed percentage should be allocated for other subjects in order to ensure an equal starting point.
The finer details of this policy would need to be explored and agreed upon by the SEC, teachers and students representatives.
We are concerned that the timetable for exams will be issued on June 1st. Students have expressed that this is not enough time to receive an official date for exams. Will students receive exact dates for the exams prior to the release of the full timetable at least?
What supports will be put in place to help students with a possibly elongated exam timetable of one exam per day? This is a very long period of time to be doing exams and students' motivation will seriously need to be supported. This will also have a knock on effect in terms of corrections, appeals, CAO offers and entry into third-level.
For students hoping to study abroad who may now lose out on this opportunity due to the delay in receiving results, what will be done to ensure they still have this option and will not lose out on their places?
The Department of Education to liaise with third-level institutions and admissions bodies internationally, and negotiate delayed entry for Leaving Certificate students to institutions abroad. The Minister for Education and Skills is currently in talks with his U.K counterpart which is very positive any updates and agreements from these discussions should be disseminated as soon as available.
A number of subject curriculums have been noted as not yet completed pre-closure of schools, and two weeks in class learning will not be enough time for students to be adequately prepared to finish these syllabi as well as complete project/practical and field work before beginning their exams. More classroom time is needed particularly for students who do not have access to online learning, if it is not safe for students to be in classrooms in June how will this be facilitated?
Extra choices of questions to be introduced to exam papers, to alleviate some of the pressure on students aiming to cover the syllabus independently.
What is the rationale behind the decision to have a minimum 2 weeks in school before exams?
The proposed 2 weeks of school time prior to exams is not sufficient to complete curriculums and complete practical work intended to be completed with supervision.A minimum of 4 weeks school time for students is necessary.
For students who are reapplying to the CAO or have deferred a place in college, they are at a disadvantage regarding points for third level entry, as the blanket decision concerning orals and practicals does not apply to them. How is this being combatted?
How are the Leaving Certificate Applied examinations being adjusted and catered for?
What plans are being implemented for students who wish to continue on to apprenticeship courses? Have technical institutes given a guideline for entries into PLC courses and deadlines?
Clear information surrounding third-level entry and changes being implemented for the academic year 2020/2021 needs to be agreed and announced
What deadlines and timeframes are to be given to viewing scripts and appealing grades? Will this have an impact on entering third-level and further education dates and deadlines? Will this impact the deadlines for international study placements?
For international students who attend boarding school in Ireland, how will they be accommodated in order to sit their exams if international travel has not freely resumed by July/August?
With the restructure of the Junior Certificate to take place at the start of the next school year, what retention measures will be undertaken to ensure students who leave school at 16, and intend on not returning in September to start a new school year, will have a chance to sit their JC and receive this qualification?
Further clarity and concrete plans to be agreed upon and shared regarding the Junior Cycle replacement school-based examinations, and how students might be supported to prepare for these exams as well as how the transition to their next step in education will be implemented.
Support to be given for students going directly into 5th year from 3rd year, who will not have a break between their exams and the following academic year. .
For students who need to work over summer to afford third level, what will be put in place to help these students seeing as they will now be sitting exams and unable to take up paid work?
The closing date for late CAO applications is May 1st, will this be extended?The opening and closing dates for the CAO change of mind facility are May 6th and July 1st respectively, will these now be extended?
The opening date for SUSI grants is April 23rd, will this now be extended? What extra measures , financially, will be put in place to support students to enter third-level?
There are a multitude of HEAR and DARE deadlines throughout June, July and August, will these now be extended? Will there be changes to this process?
Will public transport be operational throughout July and August for the proposed two week class period followed by the three week exam period? If so, how will they maintain social distancing on what are in most cases, small buses?
What measures are being put in place to make up for the three months of lost class time for 5th year students who will be moving into 6th year come September but will be far behind in their Leaving Certificate curriculum across all subjects?
Will any compensatory action be taken to cater to students who do not study a language, and are now at a disadvantage due to the decision made to award students with full marks in their oral examinations?
Will college start time be affected for all students in university? Some L.C students have concerns about accommodation and not being able to find any if they start later than other years.
Practicals/Project/Field Work:
For those who have examinable projects, field work and practical work in their subject/s when will students have access to their projects in order to complete them, as many are locked within school grounds? For projects that require in school equipment what will be put in place to allow students access to the school to complete their projects?
Ensuring students needs are catered for:
There has been a huge impact on the mental health of many students, as the Leaving Certificate is an incredibly stressful and high pressure examination. Many students are feeling increased levels of anxiety or are experiencing particularly low moods as a result of this decision and those who suffer from mental illness are of particular concern. What supports will be put in place to address these mental health concerns?
Extra mental health supports to be provided to all students and schools to disseminate, and extra support guaranteed to youth mental health organisations such as Teenline, Jigsaw Youth Mental Health, Turn2Me, Pieta House and Spunout. As discussed in the meeting with NEPS a unified support platform will be created to ensure all stakeholders are able to provide relevant, accurate and essential support and resources to all.
With the exams taking place in July/August what measures will be specifically taken to ensure the safety of immunocompromised students and students with immunocompromised family members who are particularly at risk?
What measures will be put in place to ensure disadvantaged students who can not be easily reached through online forums will be supported?
Many students require SNAs and other supports to learn in school and are at a significant disadvantage without them in the efforts to learn online. What will be done to address this issue?Supports must be available for students with learning difficulties, who are particularly disadvantaged by the lack of school time and assistance.
How will the RACE scheme be implemented?
Many students are affected by the digital divide, with differing access to wifi and technology. What will be put in place to ensure equity for these students and give them access to online learning so they are not massively disadvantaged?
Measures to lessen the digital divide between students need to be provided. Possible home/ internet upgrades and installations, laptop loan schemes and online resource supports must all be explored to ensure an equitable system, similar to measures employed by New Zealand to support students. (the response in New Zealand regarding tech resources:
http://www.education.govt.nz/news/getting-ready-to-support-distance-learning/ )
Many students have had to take on extra responsibilities at home such as childminding or caring for elderly relations, will special consideration be given to these students?Are there extra supports intended for these students?
Allowances made for students with difficult home situations, where study space is not available or care must be provided for younger siblings as parent(s) are deemed essential workers.
Students may have lost or may lose a loved one during this time. This is incredibly distressing as normal funeral arrangements are not permitted to take place. Will these students be supported at this time and what support will be given to them if so? In line with the SEC bereavement exemptions implemented last year how will this be applied in the current decision of exam deferral?
If a student has a medical emergency and becomes ill before or during the exams what protocol will be implemented to accommodate them?
This should be treated with the same considerations as previous SEC exemptions for bereavements. As there is currently no official scheme in place to address medical emergencies it would be pivotal to create a procedure with the SEC to accommodate students in these circumstances.
4)Plan B:
If restrictions are still in place come the 1st of June and it is not deemed by the H.S.E safe in July/August for the exams to go ahead, what will be done with the State Examinations?What is the contingency plan if it will not be safe to take exams due to social distancing measures and restrictions? A detailed Plan B is required, and alternative forms of assessment such as predictive grading or online assessment need to be explored and considered for implementation.
Leaving Cert Students - ISSU Needs You!
Survey on Projects & Practical Work
Since the announcement made by Minister Joe McHugh in relation to the postponements of exams, the ISSU is working with the Department of Education and other stakeholders in order to ensure that this decision is fair and just for everyone.
We are now part of a working group developed by the Department of Education, which will discuss specific areas related to the decision to postpone exams.
One of these areas is Projects and Practical Work. We have had a very mixed response from students on this and we want to collect some data in order to clarify what the student response is on this issue.
This survey is only to be filled out by Leaving Certificate 2020 students.
PLEASE NOTE: There are many questions which students have raised since the decision to postpone exams was announced and we are consistently raising ALL of your concerns, this is just one of these questions which we want to get more clarification from our members on. This survey relates solely to the scenario where exams are taking place in the summer.
Survey link HERE
ISSU Update on the 2020 State Examinations #ClarificationNow
Following the announcement regarding the 2020 State Examinations, from the Minister for Education and Skills on Friday the 10th of April, the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has been working with the Department of Education and Skills and all stakeholders in order to ensure that student voice is heard and that decisions made are fair and just.
We have raised your concerns and recommendations and are happy to announce that some progress has been made. Today, Friday 17th April, the Department of Education and Skills launched a working group with education stakeholders to discuss the implications and logistics of the decision to postpone examinations. Following this meeting the Department issued a press release stating the following:
‘The Department of Education and Skills today (Friday 17 April 2020) met with a range of stakeholders as part of planning for the State Examinations in response to the COVID-19 public health measures.
The meeting involved representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Educational Psychological Service and the Department.
A series of further meetings will be held over the coming weeks as part of consideration and planning for the revised arrangements for the examinations, taking account of public health advice.
The Higher Education Authority is also observing at the meetings with the intention of feeding back to consultations it is involved with across the third level sector.
Further information for students about the decisions taken to date with regard to the State Examinations can be found at the State Examinations Commissions frequently asked questions document. https://examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ex&sc=cov’
The ISSU will continue to work with the Department of Education and other stakeholders in order to ensure that student voices are heard and that decisions made leave no student behind.
ISSU Response to State Examinations Decision
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union , as the national representative body for second-level students, acknowledges the recent announcement regarding the 2020 State Examinations by the Minister for Education and Skills. While some clarity has come with the confirmation that exams will not continue as normal in June, the ISSU is concerned that the proposals put forward have not yet been ironed out, and that student welfare needs to be adequately considered in the proposal. We recognise the difficulty and work involved in making such decisions is monumental at this time however we feel that there are a number of factors still needing clarification before this contingency plan is implemented.
The ISSU’s Survey results, released on April 3rd and including the views of over 46,000 students, showed clearly that postponement of exams was not the preferred option of students, with just 9% of Junior Cycle and 19% of Leaving Cert students opting for it as a first preference. Among the reasons supplied for this low favourability were the unparalleled additions of stress and anxiety on students, discrepancies in the quality assurance of educational supports, and the infeasibility of matching this calendar to students wishing to progress with their education abroad.
The ISSU is seriously concerned about the effects this decision will have on students’ mental health and wellbeing. No additional supports have been announced as of yet to help exam year students navigate through this extension of examinations.We are hopeful that the Department will take this as a top priority to implement a programme to support all stakeholders through this stressful and uncertain time.
This decision leaves many questions unanswered regarding exam dates, project deadlines and the value of unfinished continuous assessment in any final grade. The amount of face to face class time before exams cannot yet be defined due to the nature of HSE guideline announcements, and the provision in place for Junior Cycle exams leaves questions about how the 2020/21 year will progress for LCA and continuing 5th year students.
The ISSU is disappointed that the student voice was not sufficiently consulted before this decision was finalised, despite students being the stakeholder most affected and being highly engaged over the last number of weeks. Many questions still remain to be answered, and the ISSU wishes to work with the Department and other stakeholders to ensure these are answered clearly with student health and welfare at the heart of the decisions.
ISSU Statement on the 2020 State Examinations Survey Report #ClarificationNow
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) is continually striving for the clarity needed on the 2020 State Examinations contingency plan.
In response to the release of our ISSU State Examinations 2020 survey report the ISSU wishes to note;
The ISSU is just one of the many stakeholders who are working with the Department of Education on this issue. The ISSU alone does not have the power to change or implement plans for State Examinations, but we are working proactively with the Department, it’s bodies and other stakeholders in the education system to ensure the fairest solution for all students is found. A core aim of the ISSU is to represent all second-level students across Ireland and to ensure fairness and equality in the education system.
The results from the survey are reflective of the submissions from over 46,000 students in examination years. The survey took place over 6 days, and was shared to our 400 member schools and 36 Regional Officers to disseminate among students. The survey received significant coverage on social media and the resulting response equates to a sample of almost 37% of all students taking exams. This sample is significant, particularly given the amount of time afforded to the ISSU to consult with students, and is the largest survey response the union has ever received. The ISSU is working on behalf of students based on this significant input, however the recommendations provided at the end of this report have been given as a reflection of the submissions received and are in no way deemed to be the opinions of those who did not fill out the survey or submit their views.
There is considerable opposition to a proposal for predicted grading among Leaving Certificate students, which is also shared by other representative stakeholders. The ISSU recognises these concerns and is working to address these.
Similarly, there is a majority in opposition to sitting Leaving Certificate exams in June as planned. Students have missed valuable contact time with teachers and fallen behind on project and practical work. If exams do go ahead, provisions and revised plans for assessment must be introduced, including a “No Detriment” policy as proposed by the ISSU and third-level student unions.
The ISSU has provided recommendations on a variety of possible outcomes for the State Examinations contingency plans. These recommendations have been directly shaped by student feedback and are proposed to secure fairness and equality for all in decision-making.
The ISSU will continue to advocate that students, as key stakeholders in their education, are consulted and included in any decisions to be made regarding their education in the coming weeks and months.