Summary Communication received from the Department of Education and Skills 30.09.2020

This is to advise you that the Minister for Education and Skills has this evening issued a statement relating to the Leaving Certificate 2020 Calculated Grades Process. A copy of this statement is attached. The Minister is this evening briefing the media on this issue.

 

The statement relates to two errors that the Department has found in the Calculated Grades process. These errors led to incorrect grades having been issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.

 

The two errors have been rectified and the process is being re-checked. The process is now being re-run and a series of independent checks, by US-based organisation Educational Testing Service (ETS), which specialises in educational measurement, is also now in train.  It is expected that this process will be completed over the coming days, at which time contact will be made by the Department with students.  It will not be possible to identify the affected students unless this process has been completed.

 

The Department’s checks have indicated that this will mean that some students will be receiving a higher Calculated Grade in one or more subjects than the grades they received on 7 September. The precise number of students who will receive higher grades will not be available until the process is completed, but it is likely to be in the region of 6,500, or just over 10 per cent of the 61,000 who received their results. The number of grades will equate to approximately two per cent of the grades issued.

 

No student will receive a reduced grade in any subject as a result of this process. 

 

This matter is deeply regretted by the Minister and the Department and they apologise sincerely to each student impacted for these errors, and the upset and distress they have caused.

 

The Department has put in place a helpline for students which will be operated up to Sunday 04 October. Updated information will also be posted on the website atwww.gov.ie/leavingcertificate. An email address for queries is also available.