Education (Leaving Certificate 2021) (Accredited Grades) Act 2021
I gCuid Ghearr
This law establishes a system of "accredited grades" for the Leaving Certificate 2021 due to the public health emergency caused by Covid-19. It outlines how these grades are determined and the rules surrounding their implementation.
Cad a Rialálann sé
- The creation and operation of a system for awarding accredited grades for the Leaving Certificate 2021.
- The indemnification of individuals involved in providing estimated marks for these grades.
- Prohibitions on certain communications and the provision of false information related to accredited grades.
- The functions of the State Examinations Commission regarding this system and the designation of tutors.
Cé dó a Bhaineann sé
- Candidates for the Leaving Certificate 2021.
- Teachers, tutors, principals, boards of management, and other persons involved in providing estimated marks for the Leaving Certificate 2021.
Príomhphointí
- The Minister, after consulting the State Examinations Commission, can decide to use a system of accredited grades for the Leaving Certificate 2021.
- This system involves teachers and tutors estimating marks, which are then subject to a national "process of standardisation" by the Commission.
- Candidates can appeal if no estimated mark is provided, or in respect of an accredited grade, limited to errors in transmission or receipt of the estimated mark.
- Individuals providing estimated marks are indemnified by the State for actions or claims arising from performing their function in good faith.
Legal text
Education (Leaving Certificate 2021) (Accredited Grades) Act 2021 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.
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- s)or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 2021 Education (Leaving Certificate 2021) (Accredited Grades) Act 2021 Education (Leaving Certificate 2021) (Accredited Grades) Act 2021 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 8 of 2021 EDUCATION (LEAVING CERTIFICATE 2021) (ACCREDITED GRADES) ACT 2021 CONTENTS 1. Definitions 2. System of accredited grades 3. Indemnity for certain persons 4. Prohibition on certain communications 5. Provision of false information 6. Functions conferred on Commission relating to system of accredited grades 7. Regulations in relation to system of accredited grades 8. Designation of persons as tutors 9. Issue of certificate of final results of Leaving Certificate Examination for the year 2020 10. Data protection 11. Laying of regulations and orders 12. Expenses 13. Short title and commencement SCHEDULE Languages specified as subjects for purposes of paragraph (
- c)of definiton of “tutor” in section 1 Acts Referred to Education Act 1998 (No. 51) Teaching Council Act 2001 (No. 8) Number 8 of 2021 EDUCATION (LEAVING CERTIFICATE 2021) (ACCREDITED GRADES) ACT 2021 An Act to make provision, due to the exigencies of the public health emergency posed by the spread of the disease known as Covid-19, for a system of accredited grades for the purposes of the Leaving Certificate 2021; for that purpose to provide for the indemnification of certain persons in respect of the provision of estimated marks; to prohibit certain communications with teachers, tutors, principals and other persons who perform any function in relation to the provision of estimated marks; to provide for the withholding of accredited grades where false or misleading information is provided; to confer on the State Examinations Commission certain functions in relation to the system of accredited grades; to provide for the designation of certain persons as tutors; to provide for the issue of certificates in respect of the final results awarded for the Leaving Certificate Examination for the year 2020; and to provide for related matters. [25th May, 2021] Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows: Definitions 1. In this Act— “Act of 1998” means the Education Act 1998 ; “accredited grade” has the meaning given to it by section 2 ; “board of management”, in relation to a recognised school, means a board of management established under section 14 of the Act of 1998; “candidate” has the same meaning as in Part VIII of the Act of 1998; “centre for education” has the same meaning as in the Act of 1998; “Commission” means the State Examinations Commission established under the State Examinations Commission (Establishment) Order 2003 ( S.I. No. 373 of 2003 ); “estimated mark” has the meaning given to it by section 2 ; “Junior Certificate Examination” means the examination of that name referred to in Schedule 2 to the Act of 1998; “Leaving Certificate 2021” means the award to be made to a candidate in respect of— (
- a)either or both of the following: (
- i)the Leaving Certificate Examination that is due to take place in 2021; (
- ii)accredited grades, or (
- b)accredited grades, where the Leaving Certificate Examination that is due to take place in 2021 does not take place; “Leaving Certificate Examination” means the examination of that name referred to in Schedule 2 to the Act of 1998; “Minister” means the Minister for Education; “patron” has the same meaning as in the Act of 1998; “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under section 7 ; “principal” means— (
- a)a Principal within the meaning of the Act of 1998, or (
- b)a person (other than a Principal referred to in paragraph (a)) who has responsibility for the day to day management and direction of teachers or tutors, as the case may be; “process of standardisation” has the meaning given to it by section 2 ; “recognised school” has the same meaning as in the Act of 1998; “registered teacher” has the same meaning as in the Teaching Council Act 2001 ; “subject” means a subject comprised in the Leaving Certificate Examination (including the subjects specified in the Schedule ); “system of accredited grades” shall be construed in accordance with section 2 ; “teacher” means a person who— (
- a)is a registered teacher, or (
- b)is employed in the place of a registered teacher in a recognised school pursuant to section 24 of the Act of 1998; “tutor” means a person who is not a teacher but who— (
- a)is teaching in a centre for education, (
- b)is teaching in a place where the Leaving Certificate Examination is due to take place in 2021, (
- c)is providing an estimated mark for a subject specified in the Schedule , or (
- d)is designated as a tutor by the Minister by order made under section 8 . System of accredited grades 2.
- a)a process of estimation by teachers and tutors of what a candidate is, or would be, expected to achieve, for a subject, in the Leaving Certificate Examination that is due to take place in 2021 (whether or not such examination takes place), by which process a mark, expressed as a percentage, is provided for such subject (in this Act referred to as an “estimated mark”); (
- b)reliance on the exercise of professional judgement by teachers and tutors for the purposes of the process of estimation referred to in paragraph (a); (
- c)the application of processes, with oversight by the principal, which shall seek to ensure that, within each individual recognised school, centre for education or other place where the Leaving Certificate Examination is due to take place in 2021, teachers or tutors, as the case may be, are applying appropriate and consistent standards when providing estimated marks for a particular subject; (
- d)in accordance with such policy directions as the Minister may give from time to time, a process of adjustment, based on statistical analysis, to be applied to estimated marks (in this Act referred to as a “process of standardisation”) which shall— (
- i)be carried out at national level, by or on behalf of the Commission, (
- ii)take account of such data, including but not limited to data relating to the Junior Certificate Examinations and Leaving Certificate Examinations in preceding years, as the Commission considers necessary and appropriate, and (iii) have as its objective that accredited grades awarded to candidates are of a standard of achievement that is consistent when compared as between all recognised schools, centres for education and other places where the Leaving Certificate Examination is due to take place in 2021 (taken as a whole); (
- e)following the completion of the process of standardisation, the generation of the mark, expressed as a percentage, achieved by a candidate for a subject, which determines the award to be made to the candidate for such subject (in this Act referred to as an “accredited grade”); (
- f)where a candidate has chosen, in respect of any subject, to receive an accredited grade and to participate in the Leaving Certificate Examination that is due to take place in 2021 and has sat the examination in that subject, the award to the candidate of the result achieved, whether the accredited grade or the result of that examination, whichever is more advantageous to that candidate; (
- g)provision for the following appeals to the Commission: (
- i)where no estimated mark is provided for a subject as referred to in subsection
- a)A candidate may seek a review in respect of an accredited grade by way of appeal to the Commission, in accordance with such procedures as may be determined by the Commission in the performance of its functions under section 6 . (
- b)A review referred to in paragraph (
- a)shall be limited to establishing whether any error has occurred in respect of the transmission to, or receipt by, the Commission of the estimated mark for the subject concerned. Indemnity for certain persons 3.
- a)the exclusion of any unnecessary or unreasonable legal expenses incurred by the relevant person to be indemnified; (
- b)the exclusion of any damage arising from such relevant person not acting bona fide in the performance of the relevant person’s functions or acting with gross negligence or gross neglect of that relevant person’s functions; (
- c)the imposition of requirements as to the notification, including the timing of such notification, and to whom such notification is to be made, by such relevant person of any claim made against that person; (
- d)the provision by such relevant person of all relevant documents in that person’s power, possession or procurement; (
- e)a requirement that such relevant person shall cooperate with any reasonable request considered necessary for the purposes of the proper conduct of the proceedings on behalf of the State; (
- f)that the Chief State Solicitor shall act on behalf of such relevant person or may nominate any other person to so act; (
- g)the determination of the Chief State Solicitor regarding the conduct of the proceedings concerned. Prohibition on certain communications 4.
- a)where the relevant person is a teacher or tutor, the principal; (
- b)where the relevant person is a principal or any other person (other than a teacher or tutor), the Commission.
- a)Where, in relation to the provision of any estimated mark, a person gives false or misleading information, the Commission may, in accordance with such procedures as may be prescribed, carry out a review. (
- b)The Commission may, following a review referred to in paragraph (a), withhold all or any of the accredited grades comprised in the Leaving Certificate 2021 in respect of any candidate by, or in respect of whom, false or misleading information was provided.
- a)to receive, in accordance with such procedures as it may determine, in respect of each candidate concerned, an estimated mark for each subject concerned; (
- b)to apply a process of standardisation to the estimated marks so received; (
- c)following the completion of the process of standardisation, to determine an accredited grade in respect of each subject for which an estimated mark has been received; (
- d)to issue the results comprised in the Leaving Certificate 2021 to each candidate; (
- e)where a candidate has chosen, in respect of any subject, to receive an accredited grade and to participate in the Leaving Certificate Examination that is due to take place in 2021 and has sat the examination in that subject, to award to the candidate the accredited grade or the result achieved in that examination, whichever is more advantageous to that candidate; (
- f)to provide to each candidate, on such date or dates as the Commission shall determine, for each subject concerned— (
- i)the estimated mark received by the Commission in respect of such candidate, and (
- ii)the mark, expressed as a percentage, generated following the completion of the process of standardisation; (
- g)to consider appeals referred to in section 2
- i)to receive information in relation to communications as provided for by section 4 ; (
- j)to withhold from a candidate, under section 4 or 5 , as the case may be, in accordance with such procedures as may be prescribed, all or any of the accredited grades comprised in the Leaving Certificate 2021; (
- k)to implement a system of appeals against a determination to withhold all or any of the accredited grades as referred to in paragraph (j), in accordance with such procedures as may be prescribed; (
- l)to appoint a panel of suitable persons to consider appeals referred to in paragraph (m)(viii) or (n)(vii) (in this section referred to as “appeals officers”), on such terms and conditions as the Commission may determine, which may include, but are not limited to, the period for which they may be appointed, the payment of fees and expenses (with the consent of the Minister and the Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform), resignation and removal for stated reasons; (
- m)to determine the procedure for an appeal referred to in section 2
- i)the period within which an appeal shall be made; (
- ii)the form and manner in which an appeal shall be made; (iii) the information to be provided by a candidate for the purposes of the appeal, including the reasons for the appeal; (
- iv)the form and manner in which the Commission shall carry out a review of the decision not to provide an estimated mark for a subject and the processes and procedures followed in making that decision; (
- v)the period within which the Commission shall determine the review; (
- vi)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate shall be notified of the determination referred to in subparagraph (v), including where the decision not to provide an estimated mark is upheld, the reasons for that determination; (vii) the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate may appeal against the determination of the Commission referred to in subparagraph (v); (viii) the appointment of appeals officers; (
- ix)the conduct of appeals; (
- x)the provision to the appeals officers of such access to information, records and documentation held by the Commission as may reasonably be required by the appeals officers for the purposes of an appeal; (
- xi)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate shall be notified of the determination of the appeals officers, including where the determination of the Commission is upheld, the reasons for that determination; (
- n)to determine the procedure for an appeal referred to in section 2
- i)the period within which an appeal shall be made; (
- ii)the form and manner in which an appeal shall be made; (iii) the form and manner in which the Commission shall carry out a review referred to in section 2
- iv)the period within which the Commission shall determine the review; (
- v)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate shall be notified of the determination referred to in subparagraph (iv); (
- vi)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate may appeal against the determination of the Commission referred to in subparagraph (iv); (vii) the appointment of an appeals officer; (viii) the conduct of appeals; (
- ix)the provision to the appeals officer of such access to information, records and documentation held by the Commission as may reasonably be required by the appeals officer for the purposes of an appeal; (
- x)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, a candidate shall be notified of the determination of the appeals officer, including where the determination of the Commission is upheld, the reasons for that determination.
- ii)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, the review referred to in subparagraph (
- i)shall be conducted; (iii) the period within which the Commission shall make a decision following the review referred to in subparagraph (i); (
- b)the provision to the Commission of such information as the Commission may reasonably require for the purposes of the review referred to in paragraph (
- a)(
- i)from such persons in such form and manner, and within such period, as may be prescribed, including a request, in writing, for that information from those persons; (
- c)the form and manner in which, and the period within which, the candidate and, in the case of a matter arising under section 4 , the person who provided the information under section 4
- d)the appointment by the Commission of a panel of suitable persons to consider appeals referred to in paragraph (
- e)(in this section referred to as “appeals officers”), on such terms and conditions as the Commission may determine, which may include, but are not limited to, the period for which they may be appointed, the payment of fees and expenses (with the consent of the Minister and the Minster for Public Expenditure and Reform), resignation and removal for stated reasons; (
- e)the procedure for an appeal by a candidate against a decision referred to in paragraph (
- c)which may include, but is not limited to, the following: (
- i)the period within which an appeal shall be made; (
- ii)the form and manner in which an appeal shall be made; (iii) the information to be provided by the candidate for the purposes of the appeal, including the reasons for that appeal; (
- iv)the appointment of an appeals officer; (
- v)the conduct of the appeal; (
- vi)the provision of such access to information, records and documentation held by the Commission as may reasonably be required for the purposes of an appeal; (vii) the period within which the appeal shall be determined; (viii) the form and manner in which, and the period within which, the candidate and, in the case of a matter arising under section 4 , the person who provided the information under section 4
- a)comprising, in respect of the subjects concerned, the results achieved by a candidate and issued by the Minister pursuant to a system of calculated grades operated by the Minister in respect of the Leaving Certificate Examination for that year or, as the case may be, any higher result achieved by a candidate where, in respect of any subject, such candidate sat the Leaving Certificate Examination that took place in that year, in that subject, or (
- b)in the case of a candidate who did not receive results pursuant to the system of calculated grades referred to in paragraph (
- a)and who sat the Leaving Certificate Examination for that year, in any subject, comprising, in respect of that subject, the results achieved by such candidate. Data protection 10.
- a)the Minister and the Commission, for the purposes of the performance of their respective functions pursuant to this Act and any regulations made thereunder, (
- b)an appeals officer appointed to consider an appeal referred to in section 2
- a)The Minister may, subject to the General Data Protection Regulation, and following consultation with the Commission, make regulations— (
- i)in relation to the processing of personal data which is necessary for the purposes of this Act or any regulations made thereunder, (
- ii)to designate such other person, as the Minister considers appropriate, as a data controller for the purposes of this Act or any regulations made thereunder, and such person may be designated in addition to, or in substitution for, the Minister or the Commission. (
- b)Regulations made under paragraph (
- a)(
- i)shall specify— (
- i)the personal data that may be processed, (
- ii)the circumstances in which the personal data may be processed, including specifying the persons to whom the data may be disclosed, and (iii) such other conditions (if any) as the Minister considers appropriate to impose on such processing.
- c)of definiton of “tutor” in section 1 Section 1 The following languages are specified as subjects for the purposes of paragraph (
- c)of the definition of “tutor” in section 1 : Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Estonian Finnish Hungarian Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Modern Greek Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovakian Slovenian Swedish 1 OJ No. L119, 4.5.2016, p.1 Privacy Statement Accessibility European Legislation Identifier (PDF) Open Data License Ráiteas Príobháideachais Inrochtaineacht Aitheantóir Eorpach Reachtaíochta (ELI) Ceadúnas Sonraí Oscailte Liosta Fianán © Government of Ireland. Oireachtas Copyright Material is reproduced with the permission of the Houses of the Oireachtas © Rialtas na hÉireann. Atáirgtear ábhar faoi Chóipcheart le cead ó Thithe an Oireachtais