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Covid-19 signage lining the corridors in St Joseph's Secondary School last August

D-Day for some 55,000 students as Leaving Certificate exams get under way

While some students have opted for Accredited Grades, thousands will sit their exams over the coming weeks.

IT’S D-DAY for some 55,000 students around the country today as the Leaving Certificate examinations get underway. 

This year, students had a choice of whether to sit an exam in each subject or receive a calculated grade, to be known this year as an SEC-Accredited Grade.

Some 61,500 candidates are entered for this year’s Leaving Certificate, between both written examinations and Accredited Grades. 

The majority of candidates have confirmed their intention to sit exams this year, with some 55,000 students set to begin their Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied today.

The exams will run until Tuesday 29 June for the Leaving Cert and Thursday 17 June for the Leaving Cert Applied. 

Accredited Grades

In light of Covid-19, the State Examinations Commission is this year running the system of examinations and Accredited Grades, and issuing candidates with a single set of provisional results. 

Those who have sat the exams only will be provided with examination results, those who have opted for Accredited Grades only will be provided with such, and those who have opted for both will be provided with the better result between the two processes. 

Candidates confirmed their Leaving Certificate choices of examinations, Accredited Grades, or both on a subject by subject basis in early May.

The majority of candidates are opting to sit at least one examination and most are opting for both examinations and Accredited Grades.

The proportion of candidates indicating their intention to sit examinations varies from subject to subject; from 48% of candidates in Irish to 92% of candidates in Applied Maths.

Covid-19

For those sitting the exams this year, the process will differ somewhat from previous years. 

Students, superintendents, school personnel and attendants will be required to wear face coverings at all times.

Any student who refuses or fails to wear a mask will be refused access to the examinations.

The only exception to the wearing of face coverings will apply to candidates who have been exempted on medical grounds.

Candidates will not be allowed to present for their examinations if they have been diagnosed with Covid-19, have symptoms of the virus, are a close contact of a confirmed case or have been instructed to self-isolate, quarantine or restrict their movements.

Schools have been asked, as far as is reasonably practicable, maintaining each centre as a pod for the duration of the examinations in each centre. This is to help avoid interaction with other groups.

Candidates will be assigned to the same desk in the same examination centre for the duration of their exams, other than for specific logistical reasons such as aural exams. 

While it is hoped that all candidates who want to sit the examinations will have that opportunity, it could happen that some won’t be able to do so for both Covid and non-Covid reasons. 

Accredited Grades will provide contingency for students in the event that they can’t sit the exams due to Covid-19 (whether through being a confirmed case, a close contact, having symptoms or due to a requirement to self-isolate or restrict movements), or for other reasons such as bereavement, hospitalisation or other medical emergencies. 

A number of students in Limerick are to miss their exams as a result of being a confirmed Covid case or a close contact after a spike in cases in the county. The absence of back-up papers for students who have to miss exams for these reasons has been criticised, with Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire commenting that this situation was “entirely predictable”. 

Further details on guidance being provided to schools in relation to the Leaving Certificate this year can be read here

Speaking ahead of the exams, SEC chairperson Pat Burke said: “Covid has brought hardship and pain to so many families this year. Leaving Certificate students have also endured additional stresses. We hope that the adjustments to the examinations and the system of Accredited Grades support our students and allow them to move on with their lives.”

In relation to the arrangements for the conduct of the examinations, which have been developed in consultation with public health authorities, Burke expressed his appreciation to those involved. 

“The Commission is extremely grateful to, and wants to fulsomely acknowledge the support of, all involved in delivering the Leaving Certificate this year. This includes school principals, deputy principals, teachers, and other school staff,” he said. 

“This also, of course, includes parents and guardians, as the ultimate source of care and support for students, and the students themselves who are to be commended for their resilience throughout this difficult year,” he added. 

Speaking ahead of today, the Minister for Education Norma Foley praised the “remarkable resilience and goodwill” of the students due to sit their exams. 

Foley acknowledged the challenging year students have faced, saying they have done so with good humour.

“It’s a very big day for the class of 2021 and I would like to wish all of the students taking their Leaving Cert exams all of the best of luck,” Foley said. 

“Equally, I want to acknowledge the last number of weeks have been a very important week for all of the class of 2021. Many of those opted to have the accredited grades,” Foley said.

“Tomorrow is another opportunity and I am very pleased to say that the vast majority of students have opted to sit the exams and the accredited grades system,” she said.

“It’s been a remarkable challenging year for them but they have shown remarkable resilience and goodwill and good humour.

“I have enormous faith in young people. In my experience, particularly from a schools points of view, students have been so co-operative and so willing and adhered to best practice advice in schools.”

This morning, Foley wished students good luck again and reminded them to adhere to public safety guidelines during the exam period.

“You should limit your contacts and continue to follow the public health advice right up until 29 June. This is incredibly important to ensure all students have a fair opportunity to sit their exams.”

It is intended that the results of the Leaving Certificate examinations and Accredited Grades will be issued on 3 September. 

Best of luck, everyone!

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13 Comments
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    Mute Seosamh
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:01 AM

    Big business are the only ones making serious money during this, small businesses fending for themselves.

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    Mute Michael Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:07 AM

    @Seosamh: So you don’t welcome the creation of over 1000 jobs? And Aldi from what I know are decent employers. I see the same people working in my local one for years.

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    Mute Nioe
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:20 AM

    @Michael Kelly: they’re not creating jobs. People don’t eat twice as much food they just change where they buy. They are just taking market share from other irish shops, corner shops, markets etc which probably provide more jobs per euro spent.

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    Mute Dobby Dooo Dooo
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:24 AM

    @Nioe: We all have a choice of where we shop. I do a supermarket shop and still support smaller local shops for meat, fish, newspaper etc. And the local shops in my area are always busy…

    55
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    Mute Jim Beatty
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:40 AM

    @Nioe: nail on the head

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    Mute Nioe
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    Jan 13th 2021, 10:13 AM

    @Dobby Dooo Dooo: of course we choose where to shop. I have no issue with aldi or tesco or whoever. All I’m saying is that a certain amount of money is spent and certain number of people are employed in the grocery sector, which will rise with population. That does not jump overnight because a new shop opens, it just moves around with market share. It is not job or demand creation. It is market share expansion.

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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Jan 13th 2021, 11:41 AM

    @Nioe: There are other factors too. The country’s population has grown by about 30 percent over the last 20 years. That creates new demand.

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    Mute Nioe
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    Jan 13th 2021, 12:13 PM

    @Earth Traveller: I said that in my comment above.

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    Mute Berkieahern3
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    Jan 13th 2021, 1:19 PM

    @Jim Beatty: you can be sure the nail you buy in Super valu is twice the price of the one in Aldi though!!

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    Mute Seosamh
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    Jan 13th 2021, 1:36 PM

    @Michael Kelly: My gripe is not with Aldi, it’s the so called government.

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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Jan 13th 2021, 5:46 PM

    @Nioe: who can afford to shop in a corner shop

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    Mute Stephen East
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:27 AM

    Local Aldi and Lidl they restrict people going in but once in its a free for all, Always felt these shops workers are under a lot of pressure as i see them running around like headless chickens almost running with pallets barely looking if anyone is there and when i have seen people talking to workers they almost look irritated like they are thinking stop talking to me i need to get the shelves filled

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    Mute Brian Madden
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:49 AM

    @Stephen East: I think the staff in my local aldi and lidl are very helpful. It’s not a free for all. People might browse longer in the meat or fruit and vegetable section. Do you expect the staff to move people along once inside?

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    Mute Sean Dalton
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    Jan 13th 2021, 10:33 AM

    @Stephen East: its personal responsibility when your in a shop. What do you want staff with cattle prods at each aisle moving people along?

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    Mute Tom Houlihan
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    Jan 13th 2021, 11:41 AM

    This is incorrect. They will
    Not create ‘jobs’. You won’t eat more because there is another supermarket in town. You may just buy less in the other supermarkets and they will lay off staff .

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    Mute Berkieahern3
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    Jan 13th 2021, 1:17 PM

    Fair play, they seem like descent employers. Same staff in the shop in my town for over 10 years now. And nice people aswell.

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    Mute Mary Walshe
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    Jan 13th 2021, 1:41 PM

    @Berkieahern3:
    And a lot of their products are Irish produced. Every so often they stock stuff by small producers starting out in business.

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    Mute Virgil
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    Jan 13th 2021, 10:38 AM

    As you enter Clifden, capital of Connemara, the first thing you see is… Aldi. Ah well, I suppose you can’t eat the landscape

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    Mute Joe Vlogs
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    Jan 13th 2021, 2:08 PM

    @Virgil: great thing too since it arrived. Locals are saved a one and a half hour drive to Galway or Westport to find a grocery store. Connemara is not just a summer holiday destination…people actually live here too.

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    Mute Declan McArdle
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:14 AM

    What about opening stores in Northern Ireland???

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    Mute thomas patrick
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:15 AM

    @Declan McArdle: take your issues to the Telegraph

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    Mute Cian Nolan
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    Jan 13th 2021, 9:55 AM

    @Declan McAr

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    Mute Declan McArdle
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    Jan 13th 2021, 10:14 AM

    @thomas patrick: Belfast Telegraph or the Toryograph in the UK?

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    Mute Pat Murphy
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    Jan 13th 2021, 11:09 AM

    @Declan McArdle: not in the eu so lol

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    Mute Aunties
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    Jan 13th 2021, 10:02 AM

    Beep beep beep.

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    Mute Maalouf
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    Jan 13th 2021, 12:32 PM

    I always shop and support local business. That’s why I only shop in Tesco Metro.

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    Mute Michael Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2021, 11:27 AM

    Good news we need it

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    Mute Dave
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    Jan 13th 2021, 4:48 PM

    A friend of mine loves working for Aldi but is always busy, she barely gets any free time and her day consists of “Manager required at till 3″ ” Till 4 will now be open”…

    Only for it to close 2 minutes later and a further 1 minute later shes back at it again ” Till 3 will now be open”

    4
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