CALLS are being made combine the Leaving Certificate results and CAO points together in a bid to end the prolonged points race and anxious waits for students.
Independent councillor for Limerick City East Ursula Gavan is calling on the Department of Education to release the Leaving Cert results and CAO points on the same day.
Thousands of Limerick students received their results last Friday (August 22) and now wait in anticipation to see if they have secured a place on their chosen college course.
“This is entirely possible”, Cllr Gavan claimed, “but the department insists on keeping students on tender hooks unnecessarily for another four days, only prolonging the uncertainty.”
The Castleconnell-based councillor’s youngest daughter was among those receiving her results last week, and says from her experience as a parent “nothing has changed in the intervening years”.
“There is no education reason to delay CAO offers, it’s simply the way it was always done”, she said.
She is now calling for the government to take action, claiming that failure to do so is “choosing to keep students trapped in a broken points race”.
Leaving Cert results fell this year across the country with reports of grade deflation following five years of predicted grading due to the pandemic.
The number of students achieving H1s was down by 2.6 per cent compared to last year, and the number of O1s handed out down by 2.1 per cent.
Since receiving their results last Friday, students had an opportunity to access a more detailed breakdown of their grades earlier this week and to apply to view their exam scripts.
Those who have applied for this should now be assigned to one of two three-hour sessions this weekend to view their scripts online to review their exams and see how they were marked.
If a student is unhappy with an exam result and wants to appeal the mark they received, they can do so online between Sunday and Monday.
The first round of CAO offers were released this Wednesday (August 27) and students have until September 2to accept or reject an offer.
After that, there are four additional CAO round offers where students will be able to apply, with the final batch of offers being released at the beginning of October.
Students can also contact the Certificate Helpline, which is run by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors on 1800 265 165 or text GUIDANCE to 086 1800 685 to connect with trained counsellors who can listen and help.
