Students from Loreto College Dublin with their Junior Cert results in September 2017 Source: Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie

LATER TODAY, 64,330 Irish students will find out how they got on in their Junior Certificate examinations.

Results have been issued to schools and will be available this morning. All results will also be available for students to access on the State Examinations Commission’s (SEC) website from 4pm this afternoon.

Over 635,000 individual grades in 25 different subjects are being delivered to 31,564 female and 32,766 male candidates in this year’s exams.

The overall numbers sitting the exams this year has increased by 2.7% on last year.

A total of 19 students secured 11 higher/common-level A grades and distinctions this year.

English, which was the first subject to be examined in 2017 as part of the new framework for the Junior Cycle, has seen just 2% of students achieving the highest grade possible – distinction – this year.

This year, the Junior Cycle Reform was further extended, with the new specifications in Business Studies and Science being examined at common level for the first time.

A total of 2% of students who took the common Science examination achieved a distinction this year, while 25.3% achieved the next highest result – higher merit.

Looking at common Business, a total of 1.8% students achieved a distinction, while 27.3% secured a higher merit.

Source: SEC

Examinations in all other subjects continued to be marked in line with the Junior Certificate programme and graded until the old A, B, C scheme.

The percentage of students who achieved A in higher-level Irish has risen from 11.6% last year to 12% this year. However, the percentage of those who secured an A in ordinary level Irish has dropped from 9.7% to 7.5% this year.

A total of 37,433 students sat the higher-level Mathematics examination this year, with 13.4% of those achieving an A grade. A total of 7.1% of those who sat the ordinary level exam secured an A.

The number of students who achieved A grades in higher-level Geography has risen since last year. However, the number of students taking the higher-level History exam who secured an A has dropped slightly since last year.

As usual, far more students sat the French examination than any other language subject.

A total of 10.9% of those who sat the higher-level exam achieved an A grade, while just 2.4% of those who sat the ordinary exam achieved an A.

13.4% of students who sat the higher-level German exam secured an A, while 15.2% of those who sat higher-level Spanish got an A.

Students wishing to appeal their results must do so through their schools, with the applications to be received by the SEC no later than 5pm on Friday, 11 October.

A fee of €32 is charged per subject, which is subject to a refund if the result is upgraded.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh has congratulated students receiving their results today.

“These last few years in school will have given you a solid foundation for your future studies. And it should be remembered that results day is just one day of many in your continuing education,” McHugh said.

“I would like to thank all the teachers, principals, school staff, the mothers and fathers and guardians who have been a steady hand as young people prepared for their exams.”

Alcohol

The HSE is today encouraging parents to talk to their teenagers about alcohol ahead of tonight’s celebrations.

“Parents are one of the biggest influences on a child’s attitude to alcohol,” Dr Bobby Smyth, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, said.

“Teenagers need their parents to steer them in the right direction, which means having conversations about the risks and reasons to avoid alcohol,” Smyth said.

It is important to let your child know that they can always call you, no matter what. They need to feel they can safely call you if they, or a friend, gets into trouble.

The HSE’s Alcohol & Drugs, A Parent’s Guide is filled with information and practical advice on how to talk to teenagers about alcohol and other drugs. More information about it can be found here.