Ninth Level Ireland

“There is ‘overwhelming’ evidence that schools remain safe settings and they will continue to operate during the Level 5 restrictions, Minister for Education Norma Foley has said. In a statement, she said the move to increase public health restrictions will support schools to continue to operate safely and sustainably during the pandemic …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 20 October]

“Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will constitute an independent inquiry into the 2020 leaving certificate which would examine the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the exam, the design and implementation of the calculated grades system, the ensuing errors and omissions and the knock-on effect on the CAO process; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 14 October]

“The Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has updated Leaving Certificate 2020 students on matters relating to the corrected, higher Calculated Grades which are to issue to some students. The Department of Education and Skills will re-open the student Calculated Grades portal at 6pm today, Saturday 3 October, and all students who are due to receive corrected, higher grades, will be able to access their results …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 3 October]

“The Dáil’s spending watchdog is expected to call in senior Department of Education officials to answer questions over the contract awarded to Polymetrika, the Canadian company at the centre of the latest Leaving Cert calculated grades controversy …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly and Cormac McQuinn, Independent, 3 October]

“For the leaving certificate class of 2020, it has been nothing but an enduring struggle. The constant confusion around the predicted grades system left a lot to be desired, but yesterday’s revelations that over 6500 students – or 10% of the overall examination number – have received an incorrect grade would be almost laughable, if it weren’t so tragic …” (more)

[Orla Murnaghan, University Times, 1 October]

“Minister for Education Norma Foley has said that the maximum number of third level places possible will be made available to students who have been impacted by the errors in the calculated grades system. Up to 1,000 extra college places may be needed for students due to errors in calculated grades issued to thousands of Leaving Cert candidates …” (more)

[Vivienne Clarke, Irish Times, 1 October]

“Cabinet ministers and Leaving Certificate students were ‘kept in the dark’ over the calculated grades errors, it has been claimed. Sinn Fein’s Donnchadh O Laoghaire said there was a ‘striking’ lack of clarity over exactly who knew what and when about the errors in the system …” (more)

[Michelle Devane, Belfast Telegraph, 1 October]

“As the college year struggles to an uncertain start, 6,500 students and their families have been hit with a bombshell. Errors in their Leaving Certificate grading raise serious questions, with major emotional, financial and logistical implications about their future lives …” (more)

[Independent, 1 October]

“Up to 1,000 extra college places may be needed for students due to errors in calculated grades issued to thousands of Leaving Cert candidates. Minister for Education Norma Foley apologised on Wednesday for coding errors which resulted in at least 6,500 students receiving a lower grade than they ought to have received …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy, Irish Times, 1 October]

“Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has revealed that ministers were not told about the Leaving Cert calculated grade error at Cabinet on Tuesday. In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr McGrath said that despite this issue being known about for a week, Education Minister Norma Foley did not inform her colleagues at their weekly meeting …” (more)

[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 30 September]

“The disclosure that errors may have affected the results of thousands of Leaving Cert candidates has rocked confidence in the integrity of the calculated grades process. Until recently, the Government had breathed a sigh of relief. It had managed to avoid most of the chaos and confusion that marked the UK government’s shambolic handling of its calculated grades system …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 30 September]

“The Department of Education and Skills has found two errors in the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades process which mean that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September. The errors are being rectified and the process is being re-checked with a series of independent checks now underway …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 30 September]

“Errors have been discovered with the Leaving Certificate calculated grades system with Minister for Education Norma Foley to make a significant announcement later on Wednesday, Independent.ie has learned. Government sources say an emergency helpline is being set up and Minister Foley will make an announcement at the Department of Education at around 4pm along with an official from the State Exams Commission …” (more)

[Hugh O’Connell, Senan Molony and Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 30 September]

“Removing ‘school profiling’ from the calculated grades process for Leaving Cert students may have affected the accuracy of the final results, according to a Department of Education study. The plan to take account of schools’ Leaving Cert performance over a three-year period sparked significant controversy over the summer …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 19 September]

“The Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science wishes to inform of the application of revised rates of salary with effect from 1 October 2020 …” (more)

[DES, 16 September]

“Sir, – Norma Foley, the Minister for Education, has responded to criticism of this year’s Leaving Certificate results by saying that the estimated grades process used by her department was ‘blind’ to school type. I’m sure she realises that this is exactly the point of the criticism …” (more)

[Pat O’Brien, Irish Times, 14 September]

“Last week it was confirmed that third-level institutions will be permitted to charge students full registration fees for the coming year despite widespread restrictions on on-campus learning and facilities. The decision by University College Dublin (UCD) to charge students €3,000 or more for ‘blended learning’ has provoked criticism from UCD Student’s Union (UCDSU) President and Welfare Officer …” (more)

[Gemma Farrell, College Tribune, 10 September]

“Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has today, Monday 7 September, announced the issue of the results of the 2020 Leaving Certificate to over 60,000 students. On what is a very different day than might have been anticipated, today the Leaving Certificate class of 2020 are receiving their results, following the completion of the Calculated Grades process …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 7 September]

“Sir, – As someone who was sceptical about the decision of the Minister for Education last May to abandon the Leaving Certificate examination and to introduce a system of calculated grades, I am pleasantly surprised by the information released by Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris about the impact of the standardisation system used to calculate student grades …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 3 September]

“CAO points for many third-level courses are likely to rise due to higher grades being offered to Leaving Cert students this year under the Government’s new calculated grades process. The Department of Education has confirmed that grades will be ‘stronger’ this year compared to previous years, which will lead to some grade inflation …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 2 September]