NEW GRADES COULD LEAD TO SCRAMBLE FOR COLLEGE

OVER 60,000 Leaving Cert students will receive their results today amid heightened concerns that inflated grades will lead to a scramble for college places.

Minister for Education Norma Foley, pictured, has already said that the academic track record of a school will no longer be taken into account when calculating Leaving Cert grades.

The National Parents Council Post Primary Leaving Cert Helpline opened today for students getting their results and will remain open until Wednesday of next week.

Ms Foley said the helpline was a ‘vital resource’ for students at its launch last week.

It is expected that the new calculation will result in inflated grades and increased demand for certain college courses.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris had announced 1,250 extra college places to help cope with demand.

The Department of Education has insisted that while the vast majority of 410,000 schoolestimated grades have remained unchanged, 4% of students’ grades will be increased and 17% of calculated grades will be lower. It added that a school’s previous performance will not be a factor in determining grades, something which caused controversy in the UK.

Despite this, a Government source said that this is a ‘smokescreen’ — with inflated grades due to cause a serious problem in the CAO system this year and next. ‘As it stands, it looks like the plan is to inflate grades so the government can avoid another fiasco when the results come out,’ the source said.

‘The idea is that the pain will be delayed until CAO day on Friday — and they can put the blame on them. It’s plain as day.’ Ms Foley has previously assured this year’s Leaving Cert students that the results they receive will be ‘accurate, reliable and fair’.

The Department of Education has said that Ireland’s predicted grading system was developed in close consultation and cooperation with key stakeholders.

A statement from the Department added the results process was overseen by ‘international experts and an advisory group’.

Meanwhile, Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, said: ‘This year brings the added pressure and the complication of trying to map out a future alongside Covid-19. SOLAS is encouraging students, and their parents, to look at their options and to realise there are diverse opportunities open to them as well as the traditional route of entry to higher education directly from school.

‘Post-secondary education is not a “one size fits all” model. Further education and training can offer students many benefits, such as smaller class sizes, learning on-the-job apprenticeships, and traineeships.’

He added: ‘I would encourage this year’s cohort of Leaving Certs to look at all the options available to them.’