Students will understandably feel abandoned by the Government
Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has called on the Minister for Education to end ongoing uncertainty over when this year’s Junior Certificate results will be issued.
Deputy Gannon, the party’s Education spokesperson, said:
“The thousands of students who sat exams in June are fully entitled to know when their results will be available. This year’s Junior Cert cohort suffered severe disruption to their education during Covid-19 and this was the first time in three years that traditional exams were able to proceed.
“In the long-term, these results will have limited impact on final outcomes for students. However, they still have a right to have their results given to them in a timely fashion.
“I find it extraordinary that the State Examinations Commission is not even in a position to confirm a date for when they will be available this year.
“The uncertainty is leading to high levels of anxiety for many students, particularly those in fifth year who may be depending on their results to determine if they should choose higher or ordinary level subjects for the Leaving Certificate cycle.
“Students should expect some form of competence from the Department of Education and from a Minister who seems to be operating on the basis that timelines for schools no longer matter.
“Those who sat their Junior Cert exams this year will understandably feel they are not a priority and must simply take their place in the queue.
“This type of messaging leads to a sense of abandonment and students may arrive at the conclusion that if the Department doesn’t care, why should they?”
ENDS
September 15, 2022