Minister scraps Leaving Cert

The government announced a reversal of their Leaving Cert policy by announcing a new system of 'calculated grades'.

Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh has today announced the scrapping of the 2020 Leaving Certificate, following a decision at Cabinet.

The exams were due to start on July 29, but today's move means all students are to be offered the option of receiving 'calculated grades' for the subjects they are studying and the alternative of sitting the 2020 Leaving Certificate examinations at a date in the future when it is considered safe to hold the exams. 

The decision was taken following an assessment of public health advice. 

“I have made every effort to run the 2020 Leaving Certificate as close as possible to the way the examinations were originally intended to be held," Minister McHugh said. “My desire had been to allow students to undertake the written and practical examinations in July and August but I have compelling evidence, based on medical advice and other assessments, that the Leaving Certificate examinations cannot be held in a reliable and valid manner, nor in a way that would be equitable for students.” 

Minister McHugh added: “This decision is taken with the best interests of students at heart. I have a responsibility to find a fair way to address the disadvantage that some students are facing and the impact a lack of time in school has had in recent weeks. 

“The fairest and most equitable way to do that in the current circumstances is to offer students the option of Calculated Grades for the 2020 Leaving Certificate but also to guarantee them the right to sit the examinations at a later stage when it is safe to hold them in the normal way. 

“The decision has to be taken now to remove the anxiety that many students have been experiencing over how the exams would look later in the summer.” 

Minister McHugh thanked the advisory group of stakeholders for their input in recent weeks in relation to the holding of the examinations. 

NEW LEAVING CERT PROCESS

The following is a breakdown of the process to be applied for students to be given the option of Calculated Grades or to sit the examinations.