The TUI and the ASTI note media reports this morning suggesting that proposed plans for students to sit Leaving Certificate Paper 1 in both English and Irish at the end of fifth year will not proceed for the student cohort of 2024.
This is a welcome development, as we had stated at all times that this was an educationally regressive move that would have increased pressure on students, who would have faced a high stakes examination in both fifth and sixth year. To make matters worse, those who entered fifth year directly from third year – around 25% of the cohort – would have had three concurrent years of State examinations under the plan.
Teachers are always in favour of positive, coherently-devised change that enhances the education service. However, a clear educational basis for this proposal was never presented.
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