THE LEAVING Cert exams have been postponed until the end of July at the very earliest while Junior Cert exams have been cancelled entirely this year under plans announced by the Minister for Education.
Junior Cert exams had been due to take place in June but have now been scrapped entirely amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
According to Education Minister Joe McHugh, pupils sitting the Junior Cert will now be required to complete other school-based exams and assessments which will be held early in the next new school year.
Leaving Cert exams, meanwhile, have been pushed further back and could start over the last week of July or beginning of August.
The announcement follows a meeting of the Department of Education and the National Public Health Emergency Team that took place earlier today.
A new Leaving Certificate exam timetable is set to be confirmed in June.
Schools remain closed until further notice.
Minister McHugh said: “All decisions we are taking in relation to rescheduling exams are based on current public health advice and put the best interests of students first. The welfare of students and that of their families is front and centre in all decision making.
"The final arrangements for the exams, the exam centres, social distancing and other measures will all be determined by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) on foot of public health advice in June."
The plans go against calls for the use of predicted-grades.
