Newbridge based Senator Fiona O’Loughlin has called for flexibility in terms of Leaving Cert 2022.
Senator O’Loughlin said, “I have been in contact with many in the local education community as I have been since I was first elected to the Oireachtas in 2016. There is no doubt that teachers, principal, SNA’s and the wider community have pulled out all of the stops to ensure that our schools could re-open after Christmas,”
“There is also no doubt that many students are understandably stressed about Leaving Cert 2022 due to the level of restrictions they have experienced, and the potential for disruption given the absences we are seeing in the education system at present.”
“I think that we need to see a flexible approach to this years Leaving Cert process. As Deputy Chair of the Education committee, I have engaged extensively with stakeholders on the topic of Leaving Cert reform, and I think for 2022 we need to see a more flexible approach being adopted.”
“There is absolutely a place for conventional examination in my view. We cannot have a situation where a students first exam would be at third level, so when we speak of Leaving Cert 2022 we need to be conscious of the fact that many students have not sat a Junior Cert exam. Meaning their first formal examination could be in a third level or college environment.”
Fiona concluded “I think flexibility will be key here when we look at Leaving Cert 2022. We need to ensure that students are not disadvantaged due to the impact of covid, and I will be advocating for a flexible approach”