The Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents almost four hundred voluntary secondary schools and is the largest of the second-level school management bodies, would like to congratulate the more than 60,000 pupils who were involved in the written Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied examinations or the Accredited Grades process in 2021. 

John Curtis, the General Secretary of the JMB, states: 

‘’We would very much like to congratulate all those students who are receiving results today and who have completed the Leaving Certificate cycle in what is such an extraordinary time. At school level, we have experienced two years of challenge and uncertainty, and the manner in which our students, management, staff and all in our school communities have adapted to that challenge has been remarkable.

It is inevitable that today we will have students disappointed with outcomes, and it important that we respect this, and that we support and celebrate all our students in every we can as they deal with whatever the day brings and the emotions that will surface. As always, we know that today, and in the coming weeks, school staff will be available to students as they consider options, and we would urge that those students uncertain or unsure as to how to now proceed would seek advice and take what time they can in deciding next steps. 

The experience of our students in the past two years may have been fragmented, but the education system here has been robust and compares very well with that of any other country as we navigate our way through the pandemic. Remote teaching and learning have been embraced and managed very effectively, and our schools have remained physically open for more time than the vast majority of comparable countries. Coupled with that, we have managed the logistical difficulties of a dual certification system delivering the two sets of results that issue today, a complex process designed to be as fair to, and as caring for, our students as possible.

So, today we might celebrate, first and foremost the achievement and resilience of all our students at what has been such a difficult time, but also the sterling work of those in our school communities and Department of Education and State Examinations Commission officials in responding to a unique set of circumstances as effectively as has been the case.

This pandemic has perhaps reminded everyone of how important education and schools are to us all, and those of us charged with the management of our system will continue to be guided by the best interests of those in our care, not only as we continue to work through current challenges, but as we sculpt the change that an adaptive and progressive education system will always demand.’’