Involvement with the Junior Certificate

Just over one-tenth of centres (11%) who responded claimed the status of a recognised junior certificate exam centre i.e. Junior Certificate examinations are actually held on the centre premises. This represents a decrease on 1998 where nearly one fifth of centres claimed recognised examination centre status (Ryan, 1999:2). Just under half of the centres offered a Junior Certificate programme in their workshop/centre in 1999 (47% 40 centres). This figure is not directly comparable to the 1998 figure as the question was asked differently. In 1998, over half the centres who responded had some involvement with the Junior certificate (55%) – broken down as 5% providing a full junior certificate programme, 34% or just over one third of centres providing a partial programme in junior certificate and 16% facilitating individuals who wish to sit subjects in the junior certificate examinations (Ryan, 1999:p.5). In total 38% of centres provided a full or partial programme in 1998. Therefore the percentage of centres providing a Junior Certificate programme would appear to have increased in 1999 (47% of centres). However, it is more probable that there is no real difference in the number of centres providing a programme, merely a difference caused by the distinction made in the previous survey in regard to full Junior Certificate programmes, partial Junior Certificate programmes and facilitating individuals to sit Junior Certificate.

In 1998, 45% of centres had no involvement in the Junior Certificate examination (Ryan, 1999, p.5). 53% of the centres who responded based on the 1999 examinations do not provide a Junior Certificate programme. Table 1.1 shows the involvement with the junior certificate examination by type of centre.

Table 1.1: Provision of Junior Certificate Programme in 1999