Yesterday’s Leaving Cert results day marked a special moment in the lives of the class of 2021. Students have managed to navigate a challenging 18 months of school closures and disrupted learning. Many found it difficult to motivate themselves to learn on a small screen, isolated from their teachers and classmates, against a backdrop of huge uncertainty. Others had to learn in homes without quiet study areas or access to digital devices or proper broadband. Students lost out on rites of passage such as graduations, tours, debs, sports matches, school concerts and plays.
As a result, this was an exam year like no other. Students for the first time had the option to avail of teacher-assessed accredited grades, sit written exams, or both, on a subject-by-subject basis. Candidates were then automatically credited with the higher of the two results. This twin-track approach was unique. No other jurisdiction has provided this level of choice. As expected, students have reaped the rewards with a record-breaking set of results and a sharp increase in the number securing top grades.
On the downside, these stronger outcomes are likely to lead to a further jump in CAO points requirements for many college courses and may fuel concern over grade inflation. The State Examinations Commission, however, has stood over the validity of this year's results. It said they were the result of changes aimed at prioritising fairness and equity for this year's students.
It is hard to argue against this. The new process this year eased much of the pressure and anxiety that surrounds the traditional Leaving Cert exam. There were extended opportunities to achieve in different formats. Written exams were part of the assessment process, but not under pressure cooker conditions. It allowed students to move on to the next chapter of their life without potentially damaging their mental health.
Soon the focus will switch to next year. Minister for Education Norma Foley has signalled that there will be a return to traditional exams.That would be short-sighted. This year's e experiment has highlighted the limitations of traditional exams, especially for those from lower-socio-economic backgrounds. The new system wasn't perfect, by any means, but it provides a pathway to future reform.
For decades there has been talk – without much action – of reforming an outdated, high-stakes exam associated with rote learning. Teachers’ unions have consistently argued that assessment by their members for State exams couldn’t be done. However, almost overnight, the pandemic has shown that it is possible. We know now that we can devise an alternative form of assessment, with public support, which can allow students to flourish. To ignore what was achieved in the past year would be a major failure.
