Principals praise students for great Junior Cycle results after a 'challenging' few years

There was a positive mood in schools across the county today as students received their long-awaited Junior Cycle results – five months after they sat the state exam.

Around 68,000 students sat the Junior Certificate nationally. A total of 2,382 students sat the exam in Donegal, last June. This year's results mark the completion of the move from the Junior Certificate system to the new Junior Cycle framework.

Some students chose to go to their school to collect their results while other students decided to stay at home and access their results online. The 2022 Junior Cycle results are the first results to be issued in three years. State examinations for school students were cancelled during the pandemic.

A key factor in the junior certificate results delay was a shortage of examiners, according to the Examinations Commission (SEC). The organisation says the number of examiners correcting State examination papers fell by almost 14% this year compared to three years ago, in 2019. The number of candidates sitting exams rose by 4%. Despite increases in payment rates this year, the number of teachers willing to correct exam papers has dropped. Efforts are underway to ensure more teachers correct exam papers in the future.

A new marking system was introduced this year where grade descriptors range from a distinction, higher merit, a merit, achieved, partially achieved to not graded.

Students have until Wednesday 30 November to appeal the results. Marking schemes will be published later this week.

Paddy Bradley linked to role on Donegal backroom team

Donegal County Board chairman Mick McGrath said that the full make-up of the backroom team would not be revealed until later next week and refused to confirm or deny whether Paddy Bradley is part of the set-up

Magh Ene College, Bundoran
The principal of Magh Ene College in Bundoran, Pat Tighe, said he was delighted with the results on Wednesday. This was especially true because of the exceptional challenges the 55 students of this year's Junior Cert class had to face in their first two years, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and delays in receiving the marks this year.

He said: “We were very happy with the results. They were excellent. Across the board this was the first year where all subjects were graded using the new junior cycle descriptor. Before this there would have been a mixture but this is the first year they are getting the new descriptors from ‘distinctions’ and ‘merits’.

“And we were delighted to see higher merits (75-90%) and distinctions (90% plus) in several subjects. We were particularly delighted with the results in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects as well as the general subjects.

“The great results must also be taken in the context of where the students found themselves in first and second year and how they were going to do, but I must say that we were delighted with what they all achieved.

“They would have faced a lot of interruptions to their learning in those years and the delay in issuing the results, over the lack of correctors, has been acknowledged by the SEC (State Examinations Commission).”

St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny
At St Eunan's College in Letterkenny, school principal Damien McCroary said his students were 'very pleased and very happy'.
“It has been a long wait and these boys have been through quite a bit,” Mr McCroary said.

A total of 176 students at the school sat the Junior Cert exams and there were smiling faces aplenty when the results were assessed.

Mr McCroary said: “There were a huge number of distinctions and higher merits. We had a couple of students who got six or seven distinctions and higher merits, which is excellent.

“We were just delighted that these boys got the opportunity to sit the Junior Cert and it's great now they have their results after waiting quite some time.”

Pobailscoil Ghaoth Dobhair
The Principal of Pobailscoil Ghaoth Dobhair, Seoirse Ó Dochartaigh, said he was ‘very happy’ with results adding this was the first year the new marking scheme was introduced. It was absolutely great to get back to normal,” he said.

He said he was delighted with the results. This year, 84 students sat the exam at the Gaeltacht-based school - the number of students was greater than other years.
He said: “It is great to see things getting back to normal. It is good to see students sitting exams and it will definitely stand to them when they go to sit their Leaving Certificate. It will prepare them and it won’t be as daunting for them. The students did well and they faced many challenges over the last few years.”

Among the many differences there are this year, he said that there is only higher and ordinary levels in English, Irish and maths.

“Everything else is common level now. That was the first year for Geography and history at common level,” he said.
The principal said that those who received a distinction and higher merits really put a lot of work and effort into their papers.

“It is very difficult to get a distinction, merit is very good and then a higher merit is quite difficult to get as well - so everyone is on the same level for those papers. It is a huge change,” he said.

“I am very happy with the results this year - we were quite worried for the first year sitting it, like many, we weren’t sure of the marking scheme but we are happy."

He said that students at the school had received distinctions and commended them for the work they did.
“A distinction is very hard to get and so it should be,” he said. He said that a distinction is something that students can strive to achieve.

Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana
In Inishowen, 180 pupils in the peninsula's largest secondary school also received their results yesterday. Scoil Mhuire principal, Rosie Grant, said she was “delighted” with how her pupils had performed.

“We have 180 pupils who sat the Junior Cert this year,” Ms Grant said. “We are absolutely delighted with how well they have performed. Due to the pandemic they missed out on so much learning, it was very challenging but it has been amazing to see how they knuckled down and focused on their studying to achieve these results.”

With the new grading system in place, Ms Grant said they have a high number of distinctions. “We’re still going through the results but it's clear to see we have achieved a high number of distinctions and higher merits, which is fantastic for the school and is a credit to not only the pupils but the wonderful staff here at Scoil Mhuire.”

St Columba’s College, Stranorlar
The principal at St Columba's College in Stranorlar, Tom Rowan said considering the disruption the students had to endure over the past number of years, they were 'quite happy' with the results that arrived on Wednesday morning.

"It's the first year in which all exams have been delivered under the new curriculum and new marking schemes."
He added the results come six months after students sat the Junior Cert examinations and in his mind that was too long.

"The students sat their last exam on June 20. They have sort of lost their value now. We are going through them to see if there are any trends but despite all the complications we are quite happy with what we are seeing. Anyone who took an examination this year is a winner for getting through so much and we will be explaining that to the students and their parents over the coming weeks."

Colaiste na Carraige, Carrick
Newly appointed Principal of Colaiste na Carraige Dr David Doherty praised students for their maturity as they received their results on Wednesday.

“Like all young people getting exam results, some were extremely nervous, but were then relieved once they got the results into their hands,” he said.

“And it was amazing to see them do something they couldn’t do for the last few years, and that was to be able to hug each other.

“For some of our younger teachers it was a new experience too. They hadn’t experienced the emotion of a results day before because we haven’t had one here in the school since 2019. They were all delighted to be there with the students, sharing the emotion of the day.”

Inevitably, Covid-19 had an impact on results, leading to some students being disappointed. “You had some students who actually got Covid during the exams and so they didn’t have the full suite of results that they would have been hoping for because they simply didn’t get to sit the exams,” said Dr O’Doherty.

“And there were some who would have had high expectations but unfortunately missed huge chunks of their education, not only because of lockdown, but from having Covid and that had a big impact on their learning.

“But on the whole, the results are on a par with other years which is really remarkable given the challenges. We are extremely proud of each and every one of them. The level of maturity that they showed here as they analysed the results was exceptional.
“Their parents have been tremendous too with the work they did in the background, as have the teachers, SNAs, caretakers and everyone involved with the school.”

Colaiste Cholmcille Ballyshannon
Principal of Colaiste Cholmcille in Ballyshannon, Cora Fagan said it was wonderful to have a hall full of happy students as the results were issued.

“They had such a long wait for the results,” she said. “I was routinely asked, ‘any idea when the results will be coming out?’
“It meant so much to the students.

“And we are delighted with how well everyone did. We had a hall full of happy students and that was wonderful to see.
“My message to the students is, we are very proud of you and of what you have achieved with the support of your family and the effort you have put in. You have done so well.”

Ms Fagan the results and the challenges of a difficult few years that they had overcome would stand them well as they moved onto the next chapter in their education.

“We as a school are so proud of them and we wish them well,” she added

Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town
Deputy Principal of the Abbey Vocational School, Caroline Mohan, said the Junior Cert results reflected the hard work of the students.

“We are delighted that all students have received their results today,” she said. “We want to congratulate each one of them on their fantastic results. They all appear to be very happy which is a reflection of the hard work and dedication they have put into their learning over the last three years. I just want to say well done to everybody involved.”