The Government is considering a plan B if the Leaving Cert does not go ahead this summer.
A contingency plan for awarding grades to Leaving Certificate students in the event that summer exams are cancelled is being actively examined by senior officials.
The Irish Times is today quoting to well-placed sources about a possible change in the plans for thousands of pupils.
It is understood that detailed planning for how a “plan B” could work has been stepped up in recent times with a focus on what role teachers might play in determining students’ grades in the absence of an exam.
Plans for the exams are likely to be discussed with education stakeholders later this week.
However, a spokesman for the Department of Education said the Government was still planning to proceed with Leaving Cert exams on July 29th, subject to public health advice.
“Planning for the Leaving Cert is still being discussed, including through the advisory group set up by the department involving education stakeholders. It is still hoped to bring just Leaving Cert students back in July, subject to adequate planning and public health advice,” the spokesman said.
The lack of a reference to the Leaving Cert exams in the Government’s roadmap for reopening society published on Friday prompted fresh uncertainty at the weekend over whether they would go ahead.
A department spokesman said this roadmap was a general guide rather than a detailed plan and no significance should be read into the fact that the exams were not referenced.
However, the document prompted Fianna Fáil at the weekend to call for the exams to be cancelled and replaced with a “fair alternative”.
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