ASTI > Education > Curriculum & Assessment > Repeat Year Guidelines

Department Permission

Permission for a student to repeat a year of the post-primary course may be granted only in the following circumstances:

(i) Prolonged absence from school, which must be -

(a) continuous absence for at least eight weeks in the preceding school-year;

OR

(b) intermittent absence over a period of at least 16 weeks, and for an average of 2½ days per week during that period, in the preceding school-year; 

provided that, in either case, there is a valid reason for the absence (usually, ill-health), and that the reason is certified by the school authority (and by a doctor, if the reason is related to ill-health).

(ii) Serious illness, which does not necessitate prolonged absence from school, but which has a serious damaging effect on the pupil’s academic performance at school, provided that this effect is certified by a doctor and by the school authority.

(iii) Serious family trauma (e.g. death of either parent, separation of parents, violence in the home, etc.) provided that the school authorities are satisfied that the trauma has a seriously damaging effect on the pupil’s academic performance at school.

(iv) Very poor academic record, which requires regular remedial treatment, provided that there is sufficient valid evidence to establish that (a) the pupil’s academic record is genuinely very poor; and (b) that the pupil genuinely needs regular remedial treatment.

(v) Change of school, in the following circumstances:

(a) when necessitated by change of domicile, provided — that it is established that the pupil could not reasonably be expected to follow the curriculum in the new school without repeating a year of the post-primary course there;

(b) for the purpose of taking up a revised course of study, provided (1) that the course in question is not available in the pupil’s former school; (2) that the pupil has a valid reason for wanting to take up the revised course at this stage; (3) that the pupil has a reasonable prospect of completing the revised course of study satisfactorily; (4) that fulfilment of these conditions is certified by the school authority in the pupil’s new school;

(c) for reasons other than (a) and (b) above, provided that there are valid reasons why the pupil might have been permitted to repeat the year in the pupil’s former school. Details should be entered in the pupil’s record.

Clarification

  1. No pupil may be permitted to spend more than six years pursuing a post-primary course of study prior to his/her first sitting the Leaving Certificate examination.
  2. The Minister reserves the right to review any case and to obtain further information or clarification, including the production of documentation when appropriate, on decisions of school authorities in such cases. Documentary evidence bearing on the consideration of cases by school authorities should be retained in the school records for examination by the Department’s officers if required. Such documentation would include (i) medical or other certification, as appropriate; (ii) school attendance record for the year prior to the proposed repeat year; (iii) all school examination results, results of psychological tests (if any), and public examination results (if any), which are relevant to the case in question; (iv) the school authority’s own evaluation of the case.
  3. Medical certificates should clearly state: (a) the nature of pupil’s illness; (b) the length of time which the pupil must be absent from school as a result of the illness; (c) the presumed effects of the illness upon the pupil’s capacity for study; (d) the likelihood of future absences from school as a result of the illness.
  4. School authorities should ensure that approval of repeat years complies with the criteria set out in this circular. In the case of any pupil whose approval by the school authority is found not to be fully in conformity with the requirements of this circular such pupil will be deemed not to be a recognised pupil for that year.