‘Students shouldn't have to gamble future on outdated system' – Social Democrats TD on why CAO system needs a switch-up

The Irish Sun

22-04-2025

UP TO 61,000 students will sit the Leaving Cert this year.
But before a paper has even been seen, there are concerns that the class of 2025 will be at a disadvantage when it comes to the CAO process.
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61,000 students will sit the Leaving Cert this year
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Ciara Kelly from Newstalk added her voice to the campaign
Credit: Bryan Meade - The Sunday Times
This is because around 15,000
She said that grade inflation has caused
Writing in the Irish Sun on Sunday today, Education Spokesperson for the Social Democrats, JEN CUMMINS TD, says a more general reform of the Leaving Cert is needed if we're to ensure equality of opportunity for all...
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FROM the first day of first year, secondary
It's no wonder, then, that pupils and their
Numerous
Their concerns are justified, as the
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This comes as a result of the rudderless Government
Successive
GRADE INFLATION CRISIS
In 2023, over 15 per cent of students received a H1 grade in at least one of their subjects - almost twice those who achieved that milestone in 2019.
In tandem, the average points awarded to students increased by almost 60 points over that same period, a monumental surge.
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The
Gross artificial points inflation, a kneejerk reaction to life during lockdown, has led to points lotteries becoming the norm for high-demand courses like medicine, law and engineering - six years of building towards Leaving Cert excellence now often culminates in the equivalent of throwing your name into a hat.
SCHEMES IMPACTS DILUTED
As a result, students now feel they must achieve perfect scores just to compete for entrance to these lotteries, an unreasonable burden fraught with anxiety and pressure which detracts from a healthy education and general
Nobody needs reminding of how stressful the Leaving Cert experience was before its expectations were ramped up even higher - generations of past pupils who are still haunted by Leaving Cert nightmares can attest to as much.
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Even more crucially, grade inflation has diluted the impact of the The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) and Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) schemes, which were designed to level the playing field for students facing socioeconomic or
Applicants once supported by up to 40 point reductions as a result of the schemes are now being outpaced by peers aided by overall grade inflation, an indiscriminate boost which may kick the ladder away from those who should gain entry to their desired course via these pathways.
Both initiatives require urgent recalibration to restore their intended functions - we're already seeing applicants slip through cracks which were once covered by these schemes up until the last few years.
Students shouldn't have to gamble their future on inflated grades and limited places"
While these pitfalls must be addressed immediately, more general reform of the Leaving Cert is needed if we're to ensure equality of opportunity for all.
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A broader model of assessment, more continuous evaluation, and a system that values learning over rote performance is long overdue.
The CAO itself also needs restructuring if it's to reflect the realities of modern student achievement and course demand.
The
The Minister for Education must ensure that runaway measures like grade inflation are not deployed as remedies to any future crises without maintaining a notion of how fairness can be maintained.
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Students shouldn't have to gamble their future on inflated grades and limited places.