Coláiste Bhaile Chláir secondary school in Claregalway has announced that it will not be taking part in the Junior Cert exams this year.
The Claregalway secondary school said that it has taken this decision so that its Junior Cert students won’t have the prospect of exams having over them all summer.
Instead students at Colaiste Bhaile Chláir will complete their assigned work for the remainder of this term, and their teachers will assign grades based on those.
This will be added to the 100% which has already been awarded to students for their practical, oral and project assessment.
There has been a positive reaction to the school’s decision, aside from some confusion about whether the exams has already been cancelled.
Earlier this month Minister for Education Joe McHugh said that the regular Junior Certificate exams had been cancelled this year, and replaced with classroom based assessments which will take place in the next school year.
Alan Mongey, Principal of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, told RTÉ News this morning that they are opting out for the wellbeing of their students.
He noted that Junior Cert students have already started to “disengage” this term.
Students at Coláiste Bhaile Chláir who aren’t happy with the grade they receive for the Junior Cycle through this new method will still be able to sit an exam in September if they wish.
