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When will schools reopen in light of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s comments on Friday night?
The Taoiseach has confirmed that schools and universities will not reopen until September / October for the start of the new academic year.
He did not offer additional details, but education sources say this will likely mean a later start to the academic year in most cases.
For example, elementary and secondary schools are expected to return in a phased manner during September, with some classes attending on certain days and others on alternate days.
It seems that remote learning will continue to be a reality on days when classes do not physically go to school.
At the third level, most universities plan to return from September 28 onwards for returning students, and on November 2 for students who have completed the Leaving Cert.
Will the Leaving Cert be affected by the decision to keep schools closed until September?
The Taoiseach’s comments have sparked much speculation about the status of the Leaving Cert.
The absence of a reference to reviews in the government’s roadmap to ease restrictions has been interpreted in some quarters as a sign of further uncertainty as to whether they will go ahead.
However, a spokesman for the Department of Education said the government still plans to continue two weeks of classes in July for Leaving Cert students, before the exams are scheduled to start on July 29.
“Planning for the Leaving Cert is still being discussed, including through the advisory group established by the Department involving stakeholders in education. It is still expected to bring only the Leaving Cert students in July, subject to proper planning and public health advice, ”said the spokesperson.
How confident can we be that the tests themselves will actually take place?
Some opposition politicians said on Friday that the absence of a reference to examinations in the government’s roadmap is revealing.
Fianna Fail education spokesman Thomas Byrne TD, for example, says he is now “completely convinced” that exams should not go ahead in the face of uncertainty and what he describes as lack of preparation for a Certificate of Departure. fair.
However, the official line of the Department of Education remains that exams are scheduled to proceed, subject to public health advice.
Meetings with education stakeholders were held on Friday to discuss the kinds of measures that may be necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff if testing continues.
If the public health situation deteriorates, will the exams be canceled?
That is still a credible scenario.
Education Minister Joe McHugh said several contingency plans are being reviewed if the reviews do not continue.
He has declined to comment further, but we can only speculate that these options include additional delays, predicted or expected grades for students; o matriculation / entrance exams for third level courses.
Why are the expected or expected ratings not considered?
Mr. McHugh has said that there is an “inherent bias” in offering students’ expected grades and that they will likely become a major topic of controversy among students who narrowly miss a university spot.
Furthermore, although he did not say this, some teacher unions vehemently oppose rating their own students for the purpose of a state exam.
However, if the Leaving Cert is not carried out, it seems highly likely that some form of expected qualifications should be considered, with or without the role of teachers.
Some educators have put forward arguments on how this might happen.
What is happening in other countries with the end of school exams?
Practice varies. Last week, Hong Kong started its equivalent of the Leaving Cert, with the requirement that students sit at desks 1.8 meters apart and that all students wear face masks and undergo temperature controls.
China also plans to go ahead with its equivalent reviews in July, subject to similar safeguards.
Closer to home, many EU member states or jurisdictions also plan to go ahead with end-of-school exams, although in many cases they have chosen to reduce the number or duration of exams.
For example, exams must be conducted in various ways in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, parts of Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain.
However, they have been canceled in the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands. In these cases, they choose a combination of predicted or expected grades, based on the students’ previous courses.
Other countries are still considering their options.
What is the best advice for students facing exams?
The best option is to presume that the exams will continue, to try to block some of the speculation and work for exams that begin on July 29.
Try to keep up with your study and don’t exhaust yourself. There is still a long way to go.
A good tip is to create an approximate calendar, working backwards from July 29, taking into account many study breaks and free time.
Health Minister Simon Harris recently indicated that elementary schools could reopen in June for one day a week. Is this going to happen?
No. Taoiseach’s statement makes it clear that schools will not reopen until the fall. Leaks during the week also indicated that this was the course of action being considered by public health officials and politicians.
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