Junior Cert may be axed to save €30m

Cabinet in talks to abolish school exam along with other major education cuts

Conor McMorrow, Political Correspondent

Batt O'Keeffe: radical shake-up

THE cabinet is considering the abolition of the Junior Certificate exam, taken by over 50,000 secondary school students annually, as a radical cost-cutting measure in next month's budget.

The sensational Department of Education proposal has been discussed at the cabinet table, according to Leinster House sources.

The Sunday Tribune understands that the proposed abolition could save up to €30m annually.

The government is looking into the viability of replacing the exam, which has been in existence since it replaced the Intermediate Certificate in 1992, with a new system of continuous assessment, with just one state-run Leaving Certificate exam at second level.

The cabinet discussions on scrapping the Junior Cert came after education minister Batt O'Keeffe signalled his support for a radical shake-up of the exam on results day in September.

He suggested a move away from rote learning as there is not enough emphasis on project work and other methods of learning.

He asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to review the exam.

The NCCA is due to report back before the end of the year.

News that the cabinet is considering abolishing the exam is a further indication of the severity of the crisis in the public finances.

Also in the area of education, it is understood that the government is considering putting a limit on free school transport in a cost-saving measure that will save between €100m and €150m annually.

If the proposal is implemented in the budget, only children of medical-card holders will be entitled to free school transport.

Under current rules, the distance a child lives from a school is the key determining factor in whether or not they get free school transport.

Like all other government departments, O'Keeffe's department is engaged in a series of bilateral discussions with the Department of Finance as the government attempts to deliver €4bn in savings in the 9 December budget.

According to a government source, the cabinet is also looking at cuts in the third-level grants system which could amount to cuts of anything up to 10% in student support grants. "Everything is on the table," the source said.

Cuts in the area of third-level research funding are also being considered by the government, although it is extremely difficult to see how the government could realistically cut this funding at a time when it is actively promoting the development of the 'smart economy'.

Despite the government's efforts to make savings in the budget next month, the Sunday Tribune has learned that concessions given to the Green Party in the recently renegotiated Programme for Government have come at a substantial price.

The decision to provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second level over the next three years will cost the exchequer €37m in a full year, according to a government source.

The Sunday Tribune has also learned that the estimated cost of the commitment to have "no further increase in the pupil-teacher ratio for the lifetime of this government", as laid out in the Programme for Government, will be €250m.

Meanwhile, Department of Finance officials warned last week that all sectors will face "extraordinary pain" in the forthcoming budget.

November 1, 2009

Comments

#1 aoife commented, on November 1, 2009 at 6:19 p.m.:

i think the junior cert should be abolished as it will save loads of money and you will have more time to prepare for your leaving cert at the end of your 6th year in secondary school. As a 3rd year student my self i believe there is too much stress put on us these days to get good grades and believe this will help a lot.

#2 naomi commented, on November 1, 2009 at 6:21 p.m.:

I stroungly agree with this issue, Because the pupils don't really need the JC it's just to get them prepared so if they have school exams annually that is preparing them enough without the strees.

#3 Donal commented, on November 1, 2009 at 6:44 p.m.:

It is the first of November or the first of April?

#4 eoin conlon commented, on November 1, 2009 at 9:10 p.m.:

they should take the Junior Cert out of schools and replace them with exams at the end of the year it makes more sense and improves the economy!

#5 Mike commented, on November 1, 2009 at 9:53 p.m.:

Does this government want us to become the laughing stock of Western European Economies by sarcrificing our children to the bankers? This government has embarassed us enough at this stage. To save a lousy €50M which the cabinet spend on junkets every year!!

#6 Patrick commented, on November 1, 2009 at 10 p.m.:

I think it is a great idea to abolish the junior cert, I mean it is really just a waste of money when you could have end of year exams instead!

#7 aoibheann commented, on November 1, 2009 at 10:23 p.m.:

i feel that they should just replace the junior cert exam with end of year exams instead. This saves us money and also we still get the benefit of sitting an exam even if its not a state exam.

#8 Ria commented, on November 1, 2009 at 10:44 p.m.:

I think they should get rid of it because 14 or 15 is too young to have that much pressure put on you and the pressure put on students before the junior cert just makes them more stressed when they get to the leaving cert !

#9 Patrick commented, on November 2, 2009 at 12:09 a.m.:

An unbelievable announcement. End of year exams are not comparable with state exams. They are invariably informal and unregulated. The junior cert gives an excellent indication of where a student is in their terms of learning at that stage of their lives. It gives the whole junior cycle a purpose, and something for teachers and students to aim towards. I really don't think that sufficient work would be done in accordance with subject syllabi if their was no form of state/formal assessment to monitor it.

#10 g.mc arder commented, on November 2, 2009 at 1:03 a.m.:

Well that'll leave 3.999.997.000 euro for the rest of us to cough up. & we may as well vomit as well!

#11 George Dillon commented, on November 2, 2009 at 3:48 a.m.:

Why don't they stop wasting hundreds of millions of euros on teaching Engish to foreign children? Make their parents (or the people who brought them to Ireland) pay!

#12 Jonathan commented, on November 2, 2009 at 8:21 a.m.:

The entire exam system is outdated in this country. It favours people with good memories and not those whom may not be so academic. There are a huge amount of people out there who are very intelligent, but not that academic. I know numerous Electrical Engineers who cannot actually wire a plug, but got through the current system - its not fair.
Exams are an unjust way of measuring ones capabilities.

#13 Heidi giblets commented, on November 2, 2009 at 10:19 a.m.:

The junior cert should not be taken away because it prepares you for the work load of the leaving cert and it demonstrates the amount of commitment to study that is needed to do well in your leaving certificate!

#14 Paddy McGinty commented, on November 2, 2009 at 4:17 p.m.:

The madness of this Banana Republic has now sunk to new depths of despair. In a Country that over spends by billions to keep a dead duck economy on it's feet- They now decide to target education as a way to save a miserly 30 Million Euros.

The Inter or Junior Cert is very important test for young people to experience the pressure of a formal State Examination. It prepares them for the Leaving Cert- it helps them focus on subjects that they excel at- but most of all it does give them a formal sense of achievement. The alternative of in-house assessments will vary from school to school and results for ditto will be meaningless...

The Inter/Junior Cert is value for the Education System...
Now if You want real cuts look at FAS, abuse of expenses by Politicians- Scrap the Senate- reduce the pay of over paid Civil servants...
The wastage of money in other areas is key- but once again another epic
fail by this government in resolving over spending by targeting the young people of Ireland's Education...

#15 Mimi commented, on November 2, 2009 at 8:24 p.m.:

I have to say I think this is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in a long time. I did my Junior Cert a couple of years back and did not feel it was too much of a stress for me as a 15 year old. If anything it prepared me for the trying task of studying for the Leaving. If the first time I sat a State Exam was at my Leaving I think I would have been having a panic attack just thinking about it.

Also, even though it is not as common any more many teenagers do leave school at the age of 16. Are we going to let them go with no qualification to their name?

#16 craig commented, on November 2, 2009 at 9:42 p.m.:

Get rid of it. It's a waste of money a huge cause of stress. Teachers should just have ongoing assessments and have harder end of year exams
(i am a JC student)

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