This petition is in response to the cancellation of the Leaving Certificate and how we as external candidates need an immediate answer instead of being left in the dark.

The Leaving Certificate is a state exam held by the State Examinations Commission. The people who sit this exam are candidates and not only students who attend traditional schooling.

External candidates have been completely left out of the current contingency plan. External candidates include (but are not limited to) people in grind schools and people taking subjects outside of school. There is also a minority of students who provide themselves with self-tuition at home due to various reasons.

Currently, there is no way for this small minority of students to receive predicted grades because no teacher knows where they stand academically. Hence this has left us in a blind spot in regards to the 'Plan B'. At the moment, the only option that has been given to us is that external candidates must sit an exam at a later date which we still have not been given. If the exams are sat at a later date, external candidates will have to resume third-level education in 2021 which we will not accept!

This is taking away our right to third-level education in 2020 due to a plan that excluded external candidates and also due to a pandemic that is out of our control. We know these are unprecedented times but we are not going to be put at a disadvantage because we are a minority. 

The current plan regarding the Leaving Certificate has been made in light of the mental and physical wellbeing of students but in fact, this decision has negatively affected external candidates mental health. This decision has left us confused, frustrated and anxious.

The only solution that comes to mind at the moment is either we are provided with the ability to sit the Leaving Certificate at a date in which we can still attend third-level education in 2020 OR have some sort of method of communication with third-level institutions in regards to our 2020 admissions. 

WE NEED A SOLUTION NOW.