Leaving Cert students to see what grades their schools gave as appeals process opens today

Students have until 5pm on Wednesday to lodge an appeal.

STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED Leaving Cert results under the calculated grades system will be able to discover what marks their schools gave them, as the appeals process opened up this morning. 

However, the appeals process is very different to the usual system and will be based on re-checking the data transfer of a student’s results from their school through the various stages of the process. 

It will not address the difference between the mark awarded by a teacher and the result they ultimately received for the subject. 

Last Monday, results for the class of 2020 were issued under the calculated grades model after students were unable to sit their exams due to Covid-19.

Under the system, grades were based on teacher and school input along with other information as part of a process designed by experts from the State Examinations Commission and other agencies. 

The average marks across all subjects and at all levels increased on average by 4.4% on last year. While marks may have been adjusted, there was no change of grade between the school estimate and final result in 79.2% of cases; 83.1% of all grades were either the same or higher than the school estimates while 16.9% of grades were lower.

On Friday, students were issued with their CAO offers and 80% of Level 8 offers were the first, second, or third preference of the students who applied for them.

Fee-paying schools, however, have said the system unfairly disadvantaged its students and it has been warned the State will face a number of legal cases as a result. 

Through the Student Portal this morning, a pupil will be able to see what grade was awarded by their school.

They will then have the opportunity to lodge appeals in one or more subjects. 

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, guidance counsellor Betty McLoughlin said that any appeal is confined to checking whether or not there has been a clerical error. 

“The appeals process is limited to the data entry and administrative checks to make sure the information was inputted correctly,” she said. 

McLoughlin said that in most cases the teachers’ result was not changed. 

She said: “The teachers made their decision. They used what information was available to them to provide the most accurate and fair set of results.”

The guidance counsellor added that the option remains for a student to re-sit their exam later this year.

Given this is a new system, and it is unclear how many appeals will be made, the Department of Education has not yet provided a timeline for when this process may conclude. 

Students have until 5pm on Wednesday to lodge an appeal.