THEA, representing the technological sector, and on behalf our members, the Institutes of Technology, welcomes this evening’s statement by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD, the Minister for Health Simon Harris TD, and the Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD. We particularly welcome the clarity around arrangements for the 2020 state examinations, and specifically the Leaving Certificate. This brings welcome certainty to families and students who are undertaking the examination this year. We also appreciate the flexibility shown by teachers in order to facilitate these new arrangements. THEA institutions recognize that this will impact the academic calendar for incoming first years in the 2020-2021 academic year and we will calibrate accordingly. Our higher education institutions will work with critical partners including the State Examinations Commission and the Central Applications Office over the coming period in order to facilitate that.
Our institutions’ staff and students have been working hard since the restrictions were first announced to ensure that no student will be disadvantaged or unnecessarily delayed as a result of the COVID-19 emergency and we will work equally hard to ensure that our incoming first years are similarly accommodated.
For further information please contact:
Róisín O'Connell, Head of Communications: (087) 9193333; roisin.oconnell@thea.ie
