The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), which represents over 19,000 teachers and lecturers in second level, adult/further education and at third level, has wished students the best of luck ahead of the 2021 written Leaving Certificate examinations.
Speaking this morning, TUI President Martin Marjoram said:
‘We wish the very best to all candidates sitting the written Leaving Certificate examinations this year. Final year students have worked unbelievably hard in circumstances that would have been unimaginable eighteen months ago, displaying great resilience throughout extremely stressful times.’
‘They should look after themselves, keep things in perspective and try not to burn the candle at both ends. For the sake of themselves, fellow candidates and the wider community, they should adhere strictly to the public health advice.’
‘Also, this year more than ever, the unstinting support of parents and guardians should not be forgotten.’
2021 - two systems of assessment running in parallel
‘Of course, on a strictly ‘no precedent’ basis, this year teachers are facilitating two systems of assessment running in parallel – with the significant resulting additional workload – to ensure that that the class of 2021 does not lose out because of the disruption to learning caused by the move to remote teaching necessitated by the pandemic.’
Excessive focus on CAO points not a flaw of senior cycle itself
‘The TUI will continue to engage in a meaningful, professional way with senior cycle review. For the sake of students, teachers and the quality of the education system, we will demand that any review or reform must have robust structures – including external assessment and state certification – that retain public confidence.’
‘In addition, any reform of senior cycle must cater for all students and their unique talents. At present, the range of levels across all senior cycle programmes caters for a wide breadth of academic ability and this must be maintained.’
‘The excessive focus on CAO points is not a flaw of the senior cycle itself. It is instead a by-product of a national obsession with progression to third level that distorts the true meaning of education and often leads to invalid and unfair comparisons between schools.’
Leaving Certificate 2022 – greater choice required in written examinations
‘As we have previously stated, we believe it essential that students sitting the Leaving Certificate in 2022 be provided with greater choice in the written examinations to compensate for disruption to learning caused by the pandemic. We have already made strong representations in this regard. It is critically important that this be finalised by late August to ensure that this cohort of students and their teachers know where they stand at the start of the academic year.’