Lahart: Calculated grades best option at present

A Tipperary teacher’s union leader says while the calculated grades system is not ideal it’s probably the best solution at this time.

Rather than the normal state exams Leaving Cert students will have their grades decided by their teachers based on their performance over the last two years.

Seamus Lahart – a teacher at Colaiste Dún Iascaigh in Cahir – is president of the Teachers Union of Ireland.

He admits the alternative to a sit down exam is not perfect but says needs must.

“If you’re asking me to say that this system is absolutely perfect the answer is absolutely not.”

“But we are where we are in the middle of a pandemic – we have 61,000 students who need a progression method onto a career, apprenticeship, work, further education and university.”

“And we cannot leave 61,000 students in limbo land, you know, until whenever we can have a sit-down exam.”

“So we simply have to make the best of this and do this as professionally as we possibly can.”