More than 3,000 students in Galway are getting their Leaving Cert results today, both from sitting the exams and accredited grades.
There are 1,577 girls and 1,606 boys in Galway sitting the regular Leaving Cert this year, along with another 126 students taking the Leaving Cert Applied.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of students receiving top marks this year, after an academic year which was heavily disrupted by the pandemic.
Students had multiple options this year, either to sit regular exams or receiving an accredited grade based on their teachers estimate.
They also had the option of choosing both, and automatically receiving whichever was the higher of the two grades.
“I would like to congratulate each and every one of the students who will receive their results today,” said Education Minister Norma Foley. “Today is the reward for all your efforts throughout the past number of years.”
“Students and their families have displayed great resilience in what has been a difficult experience in the last two school years and I wish all of those receiving their results today every success and happiness as they embark on the next stage in their journey, to work, including apprenticeships, or to further and higher education.”
In total there are 61,125 students in the country receiving their results today across the different tracks of the Leaving Cert.
The State Examinations Committee said that it has sought to ensure that the class of 2021 were treated as “fairly and equitably” as possible considering the disruption of the pandemic.
The decision to provide both accredited grades and examination results was aimed at achieving this objective, with SEC Chair Pat Burke saying that this approach was “unprecedented” across all jurisdictions.
Of the students finishing secondary school this year, some 52,680 opted for a mix of examinations and accredited results, sitting at least one exam.
There were just 185 students in the country who only sat exams, without any estimated grades, and just over 5,000 young people opted solely for accredited grades.
