Radical decisions now needed on Leaving Cert
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Start date for exams needed
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Reduction to 5 Subjects
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Close the Digital Divide
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Scrap €116 Exam Fee
Radical decisions are now needed on the Leaving Cert following the decision to postpone the exams said Labour spokesperson on Education, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin T.D; nd those decisions must be taken after consultations with teacher and student unions.
Deputy Ó Ríordáin said:
“It is absolutely vital now that students are given certainty on how their Leaving Cert will operate and on what date the Department hopes the exams to start on.
“There must be extensive consultations with student and teacher union representatives and all other stakeholders to ensure we have workable solutions.
“We also need to now take some radical decisions on the way the exams will run and also ensure that educational inequality is tackled now before the digital divide grows even more.
“We are in uncharted waters when it comes to the Leaving Cert, and all aspects of the exam should be reviewed to ensure fairness for all students. My suggestion for the number of subjects eligible for CAO points to be reduced to 5 needs to be seriously considered.
“It is also the case that some students will be more disadvantaged than others by remote learning, which should also be taken into account. That’s why there must also be a waiving of the €116 leaving cert exam fee in recognition of the additional burden placed on students and their families at this time.
“Overall, this crisis has highlighted the unsustainability of the State exams in their current form, and the limitations of exams which place so much emphasis on a few weeks at the end of a student’s school life.
“It is clear that once the dust settles, we need to see an overhaul of how the exams are run that would see more of a focus on continuous assessment.”