Sixth Year Students Protest Today Calling For Hybrid Leaving Cert

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 09:09

By Caoimhe Harney

Two thirds of student want a hybrid leaving cert.

Sixth year students will be holding a number of protests today, calling for a hybrid Leaving Cert to take place this summer.

A detailed consultation between the Department of Education and representatives bodies will take place tomorrow and a decision on the format of the exams is expected by the end of the week.

The Second Level Students Union want to see sixth years given the choice between predicted grades and written exams while teaching unions are calling for a return of the traditional Leaving Cert format.

Student demonstrations are planned in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford and Carlow today to highlight their position.

Two-thirds of exam students want a hybrid model for state examinations in 2022, according to a survey carried out by the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU).

The survey closed on Friday, January 14, and received more than 40,900 responses from students all around Ireland.

The results show a majority of students favour a hybrid model, similar to last year, with 68% of leaving cycle students and 63% of junior cycle students backing such a system, which saw students offered the choice of sitting a written exam or accepting a predicted grade for each subject.

Students voiced concerns about missing classes, and of absences among both the student and teacher populations, as well as the pressure and mental health impact caused by the pandemic.

Labour's spokesperson on Education Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said the fairest option is a hybrid model: