Decision to delay Leaving Cert results until September 7th will adversely affect students
The decision to delay the issuing of Leaving Cert results by more than three weeks until September 7th will adversely affect incoming 1st year students according to Labour Spokesperson on Further, Higher Education, Innovation and Research Senator Annie Hoey.
Senator Hoey said:
“The decision to delay the issuing of results leaves many serious questions unanswered and will mean three more weeks of worry for students and their families. Three weeks is also a huge amount of time when it comes to preparing to transition from second to third level.
“Students need clarity and certainty around their Leaving Cert results in order to plan for the future whether that be continuing to further or higher education or obtaining an apprenticeship.
“The Minister also needs to address how this will impact on third level and further education institutes and if they have been informed of this delay. It will also have an impact on the CAO system and in particular on second and third round CAO offers and the Minister also needs to clarify this urgently.
“In many third level institutes, orientation would have already been completed by the 7th of September. However, I am concerned in particular about the impact of this decision on students coming through speciality access routes to higher education. These are mature or access students who are offered additional orientation to help them transition to third level.
Senator Hoey continued:
“Students have had a really raw deal due to the Covid crisis and have unnecessarily suffered on account of poor decision making and weak leadership in relation to the Leaving Cert. The Minister needs to give them the answers they need in order to allow them to properly plan the next stage of their lives.