A watershed moment arrives Leaving Cert students arrives

THE wait was finally over for the 58,543 students who sat their Leaving Certificate as the results were released last week.

The number of those taking either the Leaving Certificate Established, Leaving Certificate Vocational or Leaving Certificate Applied programme this year rose in comparison to the 58,465 who sat the exams in 2016.

The 15 subjects with the highest participation rates are unchanged from last year, but with a slight change in the order, due to the increased popularity of Chemistry and German.

The list remains topped by Mathematics, English and Irish.

Minister of State Mary Mitchell O’Connor congratulated the students receiving their Leaving Certificate results.

“As Minister for Higher Education and as a former teacher and school principal, I have spent most of my career guiding and supporting young people and their families on their journey through education, towards the Leaving Certificate,

? she said.

“I have experienced at first hand the huge effort and commitment by our young people to reach this milestone in their lives.

“I also want to send my particular congratulations to those inspirational mature students, who have returned to education, on their Leaving Certificate achievement.

?

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, said result day was a

“watershed moment for the class of 2017

? as their school lives draw to a close.

“It is a time to celebrate the end of a very important period in their lives, and to recognise the massive contribution of teachers, parents and friends who helped along the way,

? he said.

Minister Bruton welcomed a number of improving trends, including an increase in students taking Mathematics at Higher Level which is now at 30 per cent, up from 28 per cent in 2016; and an increase in the number of students taking Chemistry as a Leaving Certificate subject, with the number of candidates increasing by some 16 per cent since 2013, from 8,156 to 9,468.

The number of students opting for Higher Level papers has seen a marked increase from last year.

In examinations that are offered at more than one level, there was an increase of 3.2 per cent in the proportion taken at Higher Level.

There was a four per cent increase in the number of students taking German in the Leaving Certificate this year.

This was also the first year in which the new Leaving Certificate Grading System will apply. 

The new grading system has eight grade bands, reduced from the previous 14 bands.

The Common Points Scale used by Higher Education Institutions to determine entry to higher education has been revised to reflect the new grading system.

All students who have applied through the Central Applications Office (CAO) this year will be scored using the new points system.

The new grading system is designed to help to reduce the pressure on students at exam time and enable a broader more rounded learning experience while encouraging ambition.

Partly as a result of the new grading system, which now awards CAO points to students who achieve between 30 and 39 per cent in higher level papers (the new H7 grade), there has been an increase in participation rates at higher level across almost all subjects.

Minister of State John Halligan congratulated each student on their achievement and pointed to the work of the Department of Education in opening up new avenues of learning to assist students in building on the skills and knowledge they have developed throughout their Senior Cycle. 

“Under the Action Plan for Education we are committed to doubling the number enrolled in apprenticeships by 2020,

? he said.

“In 2017, the Department has committed

?¬20 million in additional funding for apprenticeship and trainee programmes.

“By the end of this year, new programmes are scheduled to get underway in various sectors, such as financial services, accounting and hospitality. Whatever your results and interests, there will be something out there for you.

?

The Ministers concluded by saying that they hoped that students getting their results will take the time to celebrate with their friends sensibly and wished them well in the future.