An online service allows Leaving Certificate students to register how their grades will be obtained.
The online self-service portal opens for Leaving Certificate students through which they can opt for accredited grades in a subject, or an exam, or both. Students sitting the 2021 Leaving Certificate have a week to choose to sit the exams, get accredited grades, or opt for both.
Merlin College, located on the east side of Galway city, has 106 Leaving Certificate students. Principal John Cleary found creating an account on the portal was a straightforward process. To register, candidates need their exam number, Personal Public Service (PPS) number, a mobile phone number and their email address. Student Kaylagh Keenan explains,
You put in your details and you just slot them in and off you go and you're ready to rumble, if you've any problems then your teachers would help you.
Where a student selects the accredited grade and the written exam, they will receive the better grade. This suits student Meriem Essid,
I would prefer doing both because it's kind of like a safety net.
Students are asked to engage with their teachers over the next few months, as their work when they return to school will contribute to their calculated grade. Student Marco de Silva can work on his own but,
Some things you need to be taught by a teacher.
The portal is open until 16 March 2021. All students will be required to access it a second time, in late April or early May, to confirm their choices.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 10 March 2021. The reporter is Teresa Mannion.
