This week the Irish education system will embark on a process that would appear to be unique worldwide. Tomorrow the Class of 2021 will begin their Leaving Certificate exams – or at least those who have opted to sit exams.
But those same students will also have access to calculated grades based on estimated marks supplied by their teachers. The Department of Education says it does not know of any other country in the world that has adopted this dual approach, one that offers students the best of both worlds.
The State Examinations Commission is overseeing both processes, processes that Minister for Education Norma Foley says will run parallel, not intersecting in any way.