The announcement by Minister for Education, Norma Foley that the Leaving Cert. results will be released on August 25 is a step in the right direction, but still not early enough, says the Union of Students in Ireland.
USI, along with higher education institutions, and the Irish Second-Level Students Union, had lobbied for a return to the pre-pandemic timeframe, which saw results released in mid-August.
While USI does welcome the announcement that results will be released a week earlier than last year’s date of September 2, it is still not early enough for students starting college this autumn.
In 2019, the last year before the pandemic, Leaving Cert. results were released on August 13 – almost two weeks earlier than this year.
USI Vice President for Academic Affairs, Clodagh McGivern said: “Since the announcement by Minister Foley yesterday, we have been in touch with student representatives across the country. Everyone is more or less in agreement that the results still just aren’t early enough.
“The Leaving Cert. already places huge stress and pressure on students and can have a significant impact on their mental health. The long wait for results, and the short turnaround to the new academic year, just creates more stress for them. Securing accommodation has become almost impossible for so many students and this just makes it even harder for first years. A longer lead in time to the academic year would give students more security and time to plan and budget for the year ahead. Yesterday’s announcement gives students just one more week than last year to sort out where they’re going to live. It’s not enough.”