To clarify, if a student received a higher grade than was their due, that student retains that grade. We have been very clear that no student will be downgraded. Equally, it is an established practice that where a student is awarded a higher grade as a consequence of an error through no fault of their own, and this would have happened in previous years, they retain that grade. That would be the position now and I think that is only fair.

I absolutely confirm to the Deputy that there are students who have benefited and whose grades have increased. I reiterate that those students will retain those grades. No student will be downgraded. I can only speak in the absolute here. That is an established practice and it is what I can confirm for the Deputy.

In the absolute I know that students have been upgraded. In the absolute I can tell the Deputy that no student will be downgraded and in the absolute I can say to him that it is an established practice. Where there might have been some issue in terms of students getting places that they might not have got if the system had been otherwise, that is very possible.

On the issue of checks, validation and oversight, I must confirm again that there was a series of layers of such oversight. I referred already to the national standardisation group, the independent steering committee, the international expert reviewer and the Education Research Centre. The Education Research Centre sampled aspects of the code. There was the initial code. Then those concerned were running what I have been informed was a process in parallel to the system being operated by the contractor. Therefore, t…

It is important to clarify that when an error was identified, it was identified internally within the system. It is regrettable that the errors exist but they were identified internally within the system, and that does speak to the validation, checks and balances that were in place.

I am not running it down; I am answering the Deputy's question. It is very important to give the context and, on an issue like this, to give the correct information.

Educational Testing Service may have completed its analysis as early as tomorrow. It could be the following day. I am very hopeful. I want this to be as done as speedily as possible, but as correctly as we would all want. Once we receive the information from Educational Testing Service, the calculated grades office will have to complete its work. Thereafter, I would like to see things move as speedily as possible. I appreciate that it is in the best interests of the students that we move as quickly as we can.

I confirm that, in co-operation with my Department and the Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science, whose co-operation I acknowledge, we will work closely to ensure that the maximum number of places that need to be made available to those who might receive higher preference offers will be made available.

I thank the Deputy. The error identified by Polymetrika on Tuesday evening of last week was identified as the company was working through the leaving certificate applied results, which are based on a two-year programme. These results are generally uploaded after the leaving certificate results become available. The fifth-year results from the subject area were being worked on. At that point, as I said, Polymetrika identified what it classed at that early stage as an anomaly. In other words, it became apparent that …

There was, of course, a contract. Obviously, as with any contract, there are penalties. All that will obviously be pursued to the absolute extent. On what the Deputy asked about oversight, I have outlined that there was oversight in terms of the full model.

There was oversight of the process from the very beginning. That included oversight by the national standardisation group and the independent steering committee, which was important and which was chaired by Dr. Áine Lawlor, formerly of the Teaching Council. Equally, an international external review was conducted by Dr. Janet Brown, formerly of the Scottish Qualifications Authority. There was a further external review here by the Education Research Centre. There was validation and there were checks and balances. A n…

I do not have sight of the specific question the Deputy is referring to.

On Tuesday of last week, when the matter first arose, an anomaly was identified in the first instance. It was only on working through it that the exact nature of the error and the number of students who would be impacted became apparent. Indeed, we are still working on further, complete, absolute, substantial data. Until the fullest of data is available, we cannot make the fullest of data available. As I said, I am hoping to do that as quickly as possible.

I thank the Deputy for raising that point. I acknowledge that he is 100% correct that this is an incredibly sensitive and anxious time for the students. At no stage do I want to diminish the anxiety that students are experiencing. I would go beyond that because I know that it is not just the student but the entire family who are drawn into this. I appreciate that all households become involved when a student is taking the leaving certificate examination or any examination. I acknowledge the anxiety that exists. As …

If students receive an upgrade, the completed file will be sent to the CAO. The CAO will make higher preference offers to those who are deserving of them at that point. We will move to do that as quickly as possible because I appreciate that it is important students receive those offers as quickly as possible. I mentioned previously that students who receive an upgrade as a special arrangement this year, either as a consequence of the calculated grade or of taking the examination in November, will not have to pay a…

In regard to the Deputy's confusion as to the reason the leaving certificate applied aspect was involved, he will appreciate the leaving certificate applied is a two-year programme and the fifth year aspect of it was being uploaded. That is why that was happening at that time. The Deputy is correct that it was at that time the error was identified. In terms of the processes, oversight and so on, I have said previously, and I say so honestly again, I am not a statistician. I am not an expert in psychometrics or exam…

I guarantee that I will work with the Minister, Deputy Harris, as I said earlier. I acknowledge his and his Department's co-operation in working through the current situation. Every effort we can make will be made to ensure that students who are offered a higher preference place will receive it within this academic year. There is an absolute determination to do that. My opening remarks gave me the opportunity to acknowledge the errors that have occurred in the calculated grades system and, importantly, to apologise…

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I will say at the outset that it is my first time in this august Chamber and I am honoured to be here. On the previous occasion, the House sat in the Dáil Chamber, so I am honoured to be here. I am particularly happy to be here to provide Senators with some updates on a range of topics in the schools sector and also to hear their views. This session was initially scheduled to come just after the Government launched Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-1…

My opening remarks afforded me the opportunity to set out again the commitment of this Government, and indeed of my Department, to the education of our schoolgoing students, their families, schools and communities. The Senators will know that I have listened not just today but since my appointment to what colleague public representatives like them have to say because their wisdom and experience is an incredible resource. They also bring a proactive positive approach to tackling the issues that exist within the educ…

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and allowing me to address it. The provision of calculated grades to students arose in the unprecedented circumstances of our not being able to run a leaving certificate examination, as the Deputies will all be aware. The concept was first mooted by students and there was an extensive process of engagement with education stakeholders and an agreement to proceed with the calculated grades process. Under the model, estimated marks from schools were adjusted, using a careful…