Petitions Committee to hear from Department of Education & State Examinations Commission on Junior Certificate petition

Representatives from the Department of Education and Skills, and the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will respond to Petition No. P000013/17: “Make the new English Junior Cert Exam fairer by adding thirty extra minutes”.

Committee Chairperson, Seán Sherlock, said today, “The petitioner, Tara O’Sullivan, and her secondary school classmates put considerable effort and time into crafting a petition which is relevant to many students around the country. The Committee has engaged with numerous stakeholders on this petition and Tara and her fellow students appeared before the Committee at the end of last year to outline their argument for securing additional time in the English exam. Tomorrow, the department and the SEC will address the concerns raised in the petition – including the structure of the exam and the philosophy underpinning its structure - and they will engage with the Committee on how they believe the Junior Certificate exam allows students to both acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”

The meeting will start at 1.30pm in Committee Room 1, Leinster House.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.