Wait over for Junior Cert students as exam results land

Although still later than prior to the pandemic, the results of the 2024 Junior Cycle were issued by the State Examination Commission (SEC) a week earlier than last year.

A smiling Ashleigh Stokes after she received her results at Coláiste Éamann Rís, Deerpark, Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

This in part is due to a combination of more teachers marking exams this year as well as online marking in almost all subjects, according to the SEC.

Of the results issued on Wednesday, 94% (604,000) were either full or partially marked using the SEC’s online marking system.

Across almost all subjects, the percentage of students receiving ‘distinction’ marks slipped this year.

The overall percentage of students receiving between 90% to 100% on their papers ranged from 2.6% in English to 7.9% in Italian.

Conor Knapp and Gabi Nawrocka hug each other after collecting their Junior Certificate results at Le Chléile Secondary School, Ballincollig. Picture: Larry Cummins

This is the third year of the SEC’s return to externally delivered Junior Cycle exams under the reformed Junior Cycle curriculum.

Due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Junior Cycle examinations were cancelled for most candidates and replaced by school-based assessments.

Until 2019, just English, science and business studies had been examined under the reformed Junior Cycle curriculum.

Shane McSweeney, Waldi Kazmierczak, Jayden Doyle and Leonard KJ at Le Chléile Secondary School, Ballincollig. Picture: Larry Cummins

Apart from Irish, English, and maths, which are still examined at higher and ordinary level, all other Junior Cycle subjects are now examined at common level.

The official marking schemes for all subjects will be published on www.examinations.ie on Thursday, October 10.

Congratulations were extended by the two second-level teachers' unions to all students receiving their results. 

Both the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Association of Secondary Teachers' Ireland (ASTI) described the event as an "important milestone". 

However, both also pointed to the latest OECD 'Education at a Glance' findings, which highlight how 15-year-olds in Ireland rank first out of 37 OECD countries for reading literacy.

Deputy Principal Nicholas O’Keeffe hands out envelopes containing the Junior Cert results to students at the Nagle Community College in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson

However, Ireland remains at the bottom of the league for investment, according to ASTI. 

“We must ensure that we retain our high quality and equitable second-level education system," said ASTI president Donal Cremin. "In this regard, teachers’ voice is crucial, as is investment in schools and the education system." 

TUI president David Waters said the report shows that at second level, Ireland’s spend as a percentage of GDP (0.9%) is the lowest of the 34 countries for which figures are provided. 

Kaylem Murphy, James Greyem, Blake Tobin, Dylan O'Sullivan, Ryan Dunne, and Nathan Khan at Coláiste Éamann Rís, Deerpark, Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

"We once again urge the Government to match the commitment of Irish students and their teachers by investing properly in education." 

"The teacher recruitment and retention crisis limits subject choice and often sees students taught subjects by a succession of teachers across both Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle," he added. 

"This is absolutely unacceptable in 2024 and the Department of Education must engage meaningfully with us to tackle these significant problems."