1. Postponement of Teacher Allocations & Redeployment Webinar 17/02/22.

2. Leaving Cert Candidate Self Service Portal Registration Phase closing date 15/02/22.

3. Recruitment of Examiners for Oral Language Exams.

Dear Secretary,

1. Postponement of Teacher Allocations and Redeployment Webinar on the 17th February, 2022.

The Allocations Section of the Department of Education has indicated to ACCS that the publication of staffing schedules will issue to schools in early March. Consequently, the Teacher Allocations and Redeployment Webinar scheduled for 17th February, 2022 will be rearranged in March when allocations are released.

2. 2022 Leaving Certificate Candidate Self Service Portal Registration Phase Closing date extended to 5pm today Tuesday 15 February.

Please note that the deadline for registration phase of the Candidate Self Service Portal has been extended until 5 PM on Tuesday 15 February. This decision was taken in the best interests of the candidates to provide them with every opportunity to confirm their entry for the examinations.

All final year Leaving Certificate candidates must register their subject and level choices now through the portal.  

The SEC Candidate Portal helpdesk can be contacted at 1800-111135 or 1800-111136. The helpdesk phonelines will remain open between 9 am and 5 pm each day, including Saturday and Sunday. Outside of these hours you can email candidateportal@examinations.ie .

3. Recruitment of Examiners for the Oral Language Examinations. 

On 21 January the State Examinations Commission (SEC) contacted you in relation to the recruitment of examiners for Leaving Certificate Oral language examinations in Irish and the Modern Foreign Languages. Our recruitment efforts to date have not yet yielded the required number of examiners for the 2022 Oral examinations.  At this time, the SEC is again seeking your support in the recruitment of examiners for the Leaving Certificate Oral languages and practical examinations/coursework. 

On Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 January, we contacted those examiners who have examined Oral and Music practical examinations in previous years and have offered them the opportunity to be involved again this year.  We also sought applications from prospective new examiners.

For 2022, the SEC has responded to the concerns of candidates, teachers and school leaders by moving these examinations from in-school time to the Easter holidays in order to minimise potential further disruption to teaching and learning, in view of the disruption already caused as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the successful conduct of these examinations for 2022 during this revised time window absolutely relies on having sufficient examiners to carry out these tests over this six-day period. With your active support, we hope to increase the number of applications this year for these positions.  

In addition to the professional benefits to be gained from working as an examiner, teachers should note that this year’s rates for the Leaving Certificate Oral language examinations have been increased, reflecting the new arrangements put in place in view of the particular circumstances applying this year.  

The fees payable in respect of this work are outlined below:

Oral Tests:

• Irish (Higher and Ordinary level); All other languages, €25.16 per candidate

• Leaving Certificate Irish Foundation Level €18.78 per candidate  

• ·Revised Arrangement Fee: €223.93

• ·Appropriate travel and subsistence expenses for the duration of the oral tests 

We are now asking you, in your school leadership role, for your active support with the following;

• ·Ensuring that all teachers of these subjects are aware that recruitment is open

• Advising teachers of the relevant subjects that application forms for these positions are available to download from www.examinations.ie/recruitment

• Actively encouraging those who have been offered the position to accept the offer

• Actively encouraging other teachers of these subjects to apply this year

• Being aware of and promoting the benefits of participation

• Ensuring that release from school for the one-day training conference is not an impediment to participation

Your continued co-operation and support in relation to the delivery of the 2022 examinations including the recruitment of contract staff is greatly appreciated.

John Irwin, General Secretary, ACCS