No grade inflation decision taken yet for next year, education minister says

No decision has been taken on whether grade inflation will be again applied to Leaving Certification results next year, the education minister has said.

Norma Foley said the experiences of the 2024 cohort during the pandemic will be assessed before a determination is made on whether to adjust the grades to reflect the disruption caused by Covid-19.

The minister was commenting after it emerged 71% of Leaving Cert grades were inflated this year, compared to 50% last year.

The minister asked that the grades allocated in 2023 were in line with last year, to reflect the disruption caused by the pandemic.

However, she said examinations were “more difficult” this year, as part of a gradual return to the system pre-pandemic, so there was a requirement for greater inflation to achieve parity with the 2022 results.

More than 60,000 students across Ireland received examination results issued by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) on Friday.

Ms Foley described the 2023 Leaving Cert recipients as a “unique cohort of students”.

“In the interest of fairness to them, I did make the determination that the overall grade profile this year would be similar to that which was achieved last year, and that was in the interest of fairness to them,” she told RTE Radio One.

“It was in the interest of recognising the unique circumstances of a group of students who didn’t sit Junior Cycle (Junior Leaving Cert exams) and did have to grapple with a significant amount of remote teaching and learning.

“That was fair, there was nothing fair about Covid, so we had to ensure that we were conferring fairness for the students.”

Asked about the difference in the tests this year compared to last, the minister said: “That really was an attempt step by step to move closer to what the exam papers would have looked like in 2019.

“We have begun that process. So, the papers this year were perhaps more difficult than the papers last year. But, in the round, I did make the determination that the grade profile would be similar over the two years, so the uplift was greater this year than last year to achieve that.”

Challenged on when grade inflation would stop, Ms Foley declined to be drawn.

“Every group of students is unique and we have to look at their unique circumstances at a given time,” she said.

“This particular group (2023) are different to the previous group, particularly this group were the students who didn’t have the opportunities at the Junior Cycle. That was an enormously important consideration for me.

“Next year, students will be different, they will have a unique set of circumstances as well, so we will look at each group of students and give them the due consideration that they require.”

The minister said the system was moving back “by degrees” to the pre-Covid status quo.

“It is not accurate to say that we aren’t moving towards a pre-Covid type exam situation, we are in actual fact,” she said.

“I think it’s important and I think it’s reassuring for students (in 2024 cohort) to know that their individual stories, their individual experiences, will be the primary concern when decisions are being made.”

Ms Foley did not confirm when the Junior Certificate results would be released this year but expressed hope it would be earlier than the November 23 issue date in 2022.

Some 61,736 students were receiving results on Friday, including 58,006 Leaving Cert candidates and 3,730 Leaving Cert Applied applicants.

Pat Burke, chairperson of the State Examinations Commission, said a “post-marking adjustment” was made to the examination results in keeping with the minister’s commitment.

He said this should mean the overall set of results for 2023 “should on the aggregate be no lower than 2022”.

Mr Burke said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the commissioners and I have endeavoured to ensure that candidates taking the Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied examinations are treated as fairly and equitably as possible having regard to the adverse impact of Covid-19.

“We welcomed the clarity provided to the education system in September 2022 through the early notification of the level of adjustment to the assessment arrangements this year. In response, we have delivered adjusted examinations and assessments which take account of the disruption to learning for this year’s cohort.

“We have again applied a post-marking adjustment to the examination results in order to give effect to the minister’s commitment that there would be no ‘cliff edge’ return to pre-pandemic aggregate grade profiles and the subsequent decision that this should mean that the overall set of results for 2023 should on the aggregate be no lower than 2022.

“Through this measure it is intended that the Leaving Certificate class of 2023 will not be disadvantaged when competing with the class of 2022 or previous years for opportunities in further or higher education or employment.”

The National Parents and Students Leaving Cert Helpline 1800 265 165 will operate from August 25 until September 2, at 10am to 6pm each day, except for August 27, when it will be open from 10am to 2pm, and September 2, when it will be open from 10am to 4pm.