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Students 'pressured' by new Leaving Cert grade scheme as number sitting higher level exams rises

The Economic and Social Research has carried out an early analysis of the grading scheme.

CHANGES TO THE Leaving Certificate grading scheme has led to an increase in the number of pupils sitting exams at higher level.

New research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) showed the positive early impacts of the revised grading scheme, which was introduced in June 2017.

However, the group has also warned that the new system is pressuring students into sitting exams at higher level when they may have previously not opted to do so.

Under the revised scheme, students are graded across 8 grade bands, replacing the previous system where students were graded across 14 bands.

Points are also awarded to candidates who receive a mark of 30-39% on higher level papers, which previously saw no points awarded.

The study found that overall, students chose to take up higher-level subjects, particularly Irish, English and Mathematics, more often in 2017 than they did in 2015 and 2016.

The number of students who sat higher level Mathematics rose from 28% in 2016 to 30% in 2017, while the numbers who sat higher level Irish rose from 42% in 2016 to 46% in 2017.

According to the researchers, students were motivated by the rewards of persevering with higher level courses, as they considered that the gap between points awarded for higher and ordinary level papers was too wide.

The findings also found a reduction in the number of students who were randomly awarded a course in higher education in 2017 as a result of the changes.

Selina McCoy, associate research professor with the ESRI, explained that while the number of students who are randomly awarded college courses is traditionally a low portion of the overall number of CAO applicants, the reduction was significant.

“Before the grading system changed, around 400-500 students were randomly selected across all levels every year,” she told TheJournal.ie.

“But there was more than a 50% reduction for those who applied to Level 8 courses, for example, with 109 people randomly selected in 2017 compared to 281 people in 2016.”

The changes were introduced to ease pressure on students to achieve marginal gains in their exams, and the findings also indicated that students adapted to the new grading scheme without much difficulty.

However, the research also highlighted how students face challenges when making a decision over whether to sit a higher or ordinary level paper.

“With the incentives … they feel pressure to stay with higher level, even though they may feel ill-equipped,” McCoy said.

As a consequence, time on other subjects is displaced and additional stress is created for students.”

The research also revealed that the increase in the uptake of higher level subjects has led to a weakening of the overall grade profile, although this was an expected outcome.

In the cases of Mathematics and Irish, the increase in the number of students sitting higher-level papers led to a rise in the number of students attaining lower grades.

Maths was also singled out because of the bonus points awarded to those who achieve a result of more than 40%, which created an incentive for some students to sit the higher-level exam, even though they may not be able to pass the exam at higher level.

Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh said the research provided a valuable insight into the early impacts of the new system, adding that it would help shape future policy.

“We are still at an early stage of the reforms and we will need to continue to assess their impacts on students,” he said.

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18 Comments
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    Mute P Quinn
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    Jan 17th 2019, 6:34 AM

    This is what happens when you rush reforms. Wait until Juniour Cycle is fully operational – then there will be chaos. Reform should have started with bringing an element of project work at Leaving Cert. Now we have students doing a Junior Cycle that ill-prepares them for Leaving Cert

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    Mute Bruce van der Gutschmitzer
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    Jan 17th 2019, 6:45 AM

    @P Quinn: Ricard bruton will go down as one of the worst ministers for education ever. Teachers still don’t know how to implement the new Junior cycle and the ones training them in don’t know what they’re doing either. All to fudge the numbers to look good internationally. FG are a crowd of con artists.

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    Mute minorproblem
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    Jan 17th 2019, 7:23 AM

    The points race here is the problem not necessarily the lc or jc courses.. that’s where the pressure is coming from!

    I think some small adjustments to syllabus would help but largely it’s the whole cao system that the pressure is coming from. That’s what needs looking at here

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    Mute P Quinn
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    Jan 17th 2019, 7:33 AM

    @Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: totally agree. I actually don’t think the wider public are aware of what changes have taken place at JC. There is now only higher and ordinary level options in English, Irish and maths. Everything else is a common level paper. It’s forcing all students towards the middle and then they have to go onto LC. Bruton was a disgrace as minister, all initiatives and bluster.

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    Mute Bruce van der Gutschmitzer
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    Jan 17th 2019, 8:32 AM

    @P Quinn: 100% idiot. He’s a slithery shnake that helped and is helping suck the lifeblood out of teaching. He even looks like a chameleon.

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 8:52 AM

    @Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: I take it that you don’t like Mr Bruton? Perhaps you should use more reasoned argument to make your point rather than resorting to such a venomous attack. (No pun intended.)

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    Mute Bruce van der Gutschmitzer
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:03 AM

    @Deborah Blacoe: I’ve no problem calling him that. I’m sure many others would too. FG have a policy of draining resources from education and then coming up with hairbrain ideas to counteract this to appear we are performing well internationally. Like health, housing and most things, education is crumbling.

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    Mute Bruce van der Gutschmitzer
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:10 AM

    @Deborah Blacoe: a more reasoned argument-we have the worst investment in early education in Europe. Our class sizes are the highest in Western Europe. Less than 11% of our budget goes towards it compared to 13-16%, the European average. Pay parity has not been restored and teachers are continuing to leave for better opportunities. Less ppl are taking up teaching courses. We already have a huge skills gap and can’t fill positions in secondary and this will continue to get worse if investment isn’t increased dramatically.

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:49 AM

    @Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: Excellent reasoning skills! 10/10. Go to the top of the class. Sorry for that, couldn’t help myself. I hear you loud and clear. And I don’t disagree. I wonder what happens to politicians between when they start out on their political career and when they reach the dizzy heights of government? The political life appears to be the best learning ground for subterfuge and the most unwelcome forms of compromise. Mr Bruton was the first politician I voted for over 40 years ago. Both he and George Birmingham (now Justice Birmingham) were the bright lights in our constituency. I was never a ‘party’ person. My vote has always been a considered one, but I took an interest in Mr Bruton’s career. That bright star has dimmed a little. Such is life.

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    Mute Bruce van der Gutschmitzer
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    Jan 17th 2019, 10:56 AM

    @Deborah Blacoe: there was no offence taken, don’t worry. Agree 100%. Politics is a cesspit that would turn the most righteous of ppl into the biggest of mé féiners. I’d be aligned with the Russell Brand strand of politics and just scrapping the whole system and starting again after the failure that was Anglo being allowed to fail in the manner that it did. I just don’t trust most ppl that go into politics so quick without getting a rounded scope and view of the world. He just comes across as a careerist politician. Coming out with the shcuther that Ireland will be the best education system in Europe in 10 years when he has no plans to invest properly and implementing a new syllabus that has been proven to have failed but he decides to push on anyway because it looks progressive. We now have children who are less prepared for the leaving cert and will be under more stress compared to those before them. I anticipate that there will be higher suicide rate among leaving certs next year. That’s why I despise the guy. It’s all about optics.

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Jan 17th 2019, 11:24 AM

    @Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: the biggest problems with the current education system are that 1) it is outdated and 2) it is geared for winning points. The academic subjects introduced so far back in time, when the industrial revolution was happening across Europe, are the ones which earn most credibility. This path should no longer be followed exclusively. The development of the ‘whole’ child is imperative towards maximizing skills and options. Otherwise it will be a system which will increasingly polarize goals and waste the opportunity to nurture a cross section of abilities. The level of merit awarded to academic success by society has to change. Only then can we achieve the diversity necessary in our education system in order to fuel a changing workplace.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Jan 17th 2019, 2:48 PM

    @P Quinn: Do you want some really bad news? If the present ‘reforms’ are deemed to be ‘successful’ there is a further plan to have completely common papers for JC English, Maths and Irish. So, never mind Foundation, there will be no Higher or Ordinary any more.

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    Mute P Quinn
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    Jan 17th 2019, 7:39 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: that’s absolutely disgraceful and completely irresponsible

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    Mute CarlAnne Greene
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    Jan 17th 2019, 8:20 AM

    It’s called ‘dumbing down’ so everyone passes. While I agree we should be encouraging our youth, it’s another example of nanny state.

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    Mute Barry Zuckerkorn
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    Jan 17th 2019, 7:46 AM

    Both Micky mouse exams when it comes down it

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    Mute Gerard McDermott
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    Jan 17th 2019, 9:47 AM

    @Barry Zuckerkorn: They might be Mickey Mouse to you, but they are very important to those students that are sitting them, and cause many of them a lot of stress.

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    Mute Jason Byrne
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    Jan 17th 2019, 12:54 PM

    It’s mainly due to the increase in points needed for most basic courses in decent universities and colleges .
    Considering the maximum amount of points you can get for an ordinary subject is 56
    Taking basically everything in higher is the only option you have if you want a decent course.

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    Mute Gerard McDermott
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    Jan 17th 2019, 1:08 PM

    @Jason Byrne: For the most part, the points required is set by the students that get offered a place. If a course has 100 places and is filled on the first round, then the student with the 100th best points score will set the points – the last student to be offered a place in round 1!

    The problem is, as subject reform occurs, subjects often get easier. This allows the more able student to get more points, and points for courses go up.

    In certain instances, the Universities can cap the points level for a course.

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