Leaving Cert students’ calculated grades should not be dictated by the past performance of their schools, the Ombudsman for Children has warned. Dr Niall Muldoon’s comments come amid controversy over the use of calculated grades in the UK which have seen hit disadvantaged students’ hit hardest by downgrades of their teachers’predictions . The system of calculated grades used in the UK is similar to the Irish approach and involves combining teachers’ proposed grades with a national standardisation process. However, there was an overall rise in grades and a record highs for the top A* and A grades. Minister for Education Norma Foley has sought to reassure thousands of Leaving Cert students that the new calculated grades system will be “accurate, reliable and fair to all students”.

Source: The Irish Times August 13, 2020 16:52 UTC