Significant changes to Leaving Cert exams in Irish and English are being planned in order to win support among students, parents and teachers for moving paper one of both exams to fifth year.
Minister for Education Norma Foley announced last March that paper one of both exams would move from sixth year to fifth year students entering senior cycle from September 2023, in a move aimed at easing pressure on exam candidates.
However, the plan has sparked controversy with teachers’ unions who criticised it as “educationally unsound” and students who described plans recently as “inadequate”.
Concerns expressed
Among the measures under consideration by Department of Education officials include moving essays for both exams from paper one at the end of fifth year to paper two at the end of sixth year, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
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This is in light of concerns expressed by exam officials that it could disadvantage male students, in particular, given their level of maturity.
In addition, paper one in both exams would be limited to areas which require less study, such as comprehension, while prescribed texts such as poetry, plays or literature would feature in paper two of both exams.
Paper one in both exams is likely to attract fewer marks as a result of the changes, while paper two would be worth more.
Private discussions between the Department and Education partners have been taking place over proposed changes in recent weeks. A formal announcement is likely later this week, according to informed sources.
Ms Foley has said the greatest motivating factor in moving exams to fifth year is to reduce anxiety and stress for students who feel the focus on exams at the end of a two-year cycle is too much. The “interim” plan is the first step of more ambitious reforms which envisage up to 40 per cent of marks across all exams being awarded on the basis of projects or continual assessment to be marked by teachers.
‘Early wins’
These wider reforms could take years to deliver, however, so policymakers have been keen to deliver some “early wins”.
While students’ representatives support the principle of reforming the Leaving Cert, the Irish Second Level Students’ Union last month criticised “inadequate plans”.
It said it had unanswered questions over the implications for students who wish to drop from higher to ordinary level when they enter sixth year, or students who wish to repeat and re-sit their Irish and English paper one exams.
Teachers’ unions have described the fifth year exam plans as “educationally unsound” and which could pile additional pressure on students and teachers.
