[ad_1]
EDUCATION MINISTER NORMA Foley has said that some students may have to postpone going to college until next year if they are offered a place in a different course because their initial Bachelor Certificate results were affected. for a mistake that caused thousands of students to receive an incorrect grade.
It emerged yesterday that around 7,200 Leaving Cert grades were affected by errors in the calculated grade system.
It is not yet clear how many students lost a place in the university due to the problem, but it is understood that 800 to 900 students could be affected.
Universities have warned that they do not have the capacity to offer places so that all students can receive a new offer from the CAO in light of the situation.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Foley said the Department of Education and the Department of Continuing and Higher Education will work together to try to ensure that all students who get an enhanced offer receive it.
“There may be several students who have to defer, but I have to say it’s too early to make that call now,” Foley said.
The minister said that “great efforts have already been made this year in terms of making additional places available.”
“We also have to recognize that there is an absolute intention on the part of all those involved, my own department works hand in hand with the Department of Higher Education, to ensure that there is a maximum number of places available and I am confident that we will achieve it for the absolute limit “.
Sinn Féin education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said on the same show that it is not acceptable for students to have to procrastinate due to mistakes, saying they should not have to “wait in purgatory.”
“If they discover that they are in a university course with their highest grade, it is not acceptable to tell them, now they must wait 12 months, they can look for work, they can do a year of a course maybe that was not their first option, they can go back and do another course, but that’s not a fair option.
“To be honest, if this ended up in court, I don’t think the Department of Education would have a very solid foundation given that it was their mistake or those working on their behalf that denied them the place of third level students,” he said. .
Foley will address the Dáil on the subject later today.
Sanctions to the company
Yesterday, Foley said there are penalties associated with the contract from Polymetrika International, the private company that developed the code for calculated Leaving Cert grades.
At a press conference it was confirmed that the “original value” of the contract with the Canadian company was 75,000 euros.
An official from the Department of Education said that “the expenditure to date” is € 160,000. Not all expenses fall on the department, but also on the State Examinations Commission, as the contract was originally placed on “contingency planning days” in April, an official said.
Asked about the sanctions, the minister said TheJournal.ie there are “penalties in connection with this … absolutely.”
However, the government’s approach “is much more than ensuring that the error that has occurred is corrected, which is the main concern of the students.”
Two errors in the system
Taoiseach Micheál Martin revealed yesterday that two errors were identified in the system, one identified by Polymetrica and the second by officials from the Department of Education.
Speaking at the press conference last night, Foley said that some students received a higher grade than they should, while some students received a lower grade.
The minister said that those who received a higher rating “will not be affected in any way” and that those who were rated “will regain their proper rating.”
No news is bad news
Support the magazine
your contributions help us keep delivering the stories that are important to you
Support us now
“When all of our verifications are complete, we will send the corrected results to the affected students as soon as possible. All students will be contacted by text message and will be informed if they are affected or not, ”he said.
The exact number of students who will receive higher grades will not be available until the process is complete, but it is likely to be in the region of 6,500. No student will receive a reduced grade in any subject as a result of this process.
A helpline and email address have been created to respond to student inquiries: 01889 2199 and [email protected].
[ad_2]