Lack of date for Junior Cert results ‘causing anxiety’

THE lack of a projected date for the publication of the long-awaited Junior Certificate results is causing frustration and anxiety for Clare students, according to a local Dáil Deputy.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin wasn’t in a position to give Deputy Cathal Crowe any definitive date or expected time frame for the issuing of Junior Certificate examination results when he was questioned in the Dáil recently.

The Clare Fianna Fáil Deputy has expressed his disappointment with a company that runs seminars that suggested these results would be published on October 12 without any foundation, which is causing even more anxiety for students.

“Having spent many years in the classroom, I really feel for these students. A lot of past pupils of mine have contacted me.

“These are a cohort of students who experienced a lot of disruption in First and Second Year due to Covid-19. A lot of them worked their socks of for the Junior Certificate and they are anxious to see the fruits of their labour.

“Apart from this, there is the issue of taking on higher and lower level subjects for the Leaving Certificate. A lot of students have gone into Fifth Year now and they need to know the outcome of their Junior Certificate along with their teachers to make informed decisions about whether they take higher or lower level subjects for the Leaving Certificate,” he stated.

Deputy Crowe said the delay is due to an apparent problem with the mechanics of the State Examination Commission.

He hopes Education Minister Norma Foley will give a definitive date for the publication of the Junior Certificate results even if this is a few weeks away.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Crowe asked when would members of the Junior Certificate class of 2022 expect to see their results.

“They are all anxious to see the fruits of their labour but beyond wanting to get out and celebrate and digest their results, some of them have to make lower level decisions in respect of their fifth-year examinations and what may happen thereafter,” he outlined.

The Taoiseach admitted he didn’t have a specific date on the Junior Certificate examination results yet.

“It seems the State Examination Commission, which is responsible, concentrated originally on the leaving certificate and then the appeals arising from that examination because students would be depending on the appeals outcomes for progression to third level. I will speak to the Minister and revert to deputies on a potential date for that.”

Deputy Crowe also asked the Taoiseach if he envisages the free School Transport Scheme would be continued over the coming years.

“From an environmental point of view, it makes sense to have school buses on the road as this reduces congestion on the streets.”

The Taoiseach said the government should continue to provide this free transport because it is a cost-of-living measure that saves families about €650, but it also gets people out of cars and into buses.

“That is good for climate action, the environment and towns and villages as it reduces congestion. There always has to be balance when we start providing free schemes because capacity and affordability become issues. In respect of schools, however, we should work towards a model that takes the cost out of it and incentivises the utilisation of buses and trains as opposed to cars.”