Leaving Cert 2026 Marks Historic Inclusion Milestone as SEN Students Collect Results Alongside Peers
The 2026 Leaving Certificate results season has been marked by a historic milestone: for the first time, students completing Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes received their results on the same day as their mainstream peers, with over 70,000 candidates collecting results on Friday, 21 August. The moment was described by educators and disability advocates as a long-overdue recognition of the equal standing of all Leaving Cert students.
Background
The Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes are designed for students with significant general learning disabilities who are working towards the Leaving Certificate but following a differentiated curriculum tailored to their individual needs and abilities. These programmes have existed for a number of years, but until 2026, students completing them received their results on a different day to their mainstream peers — a distinction that many families and educators felt was both unnecessary and symbolically harmful.
The decision to align results days was made by the State Examinations Commission following sustained advocacy from disability organisations, parents, and school principals who argued that the separation sent the wrong message about the value placed on the achievements of students with additional needs. The change required significant logistical coordination but was ultimately straightforward to implement once the political will existed to do so.
The broader context is one of gradual but meaningful progress in the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream education. Ireland has moved significantly in recent decades from a model of segregated special schools towards one of supported inclusion in mainstream settings, though advocates note that the journey is far from complete and that resource shortages continue to limit what schools can offer.
Key Developments
Friday's results day saw 70,411 candidates receive their Leaving Certificate results, including 4,779 students who completed the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. The proportion of H1 grades fell to 10.1%, down from 11.7% in 2025, reflecting the continued normalisation of grade distributions following the pandemic-era adjustments that had inflated results in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The State Examinations Commission applied a post-marking adjustment to 35% of grades — down from 52% in 2025 — as the system continues its gradual return to pre-pandemic norms. The proportion of students opting for higher-level papers rose to 74%, and there was increased participation in subjects including physical education, technology, and construction studies.
For the students completing Level 1 and Level 2 programmes, Friday was about far more than grades. Scenes at schools across the country showed young people with a range of disabilities celebrating alongside their classmates, collecting their results envelopes, and sharing the moment with families who had supported them through years of hard work. Several schools shared photographs and videos on social media that drew widespread positive comment.
Why It Matters
The symbolic significance of this change should not be underestimated. For students with significant learning disabilities, the experience of being treated as full and equal participants in the Leaving Certificate process — rather than as a separate category to be processed on a different day — matters enormously for their sense of belonging and self-worth. Research consistently shows that inclusive practices in education have positive outcomes not just for students with disabilities but for their peers, who develop greater empathy and understanding through shared experiences.
Ireland's approach to special educational needs has been the subject of considerable scrutiny in recent years, with the National Council for Special Education repeatedly highlighting shortfalls in the provision of special needs assistants, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. Against that backdrop, the results day change is a relatively low-cost intervention that delivers a high symbolic return — and it sets a precedent for further alignment of the experiences of students with and without disabilities.
Local Impact
Across the country, from Donegal to Kerry and from Galway to Wexford, schools reported emotional and joyful scenes as students with additional needs collected their results alongside classmates. In Dublin, several schools in areas including Clondalkin, Tallaght, and Ballymun — where special classes are integrated into mainstream secondary schools — described the day as one of the most positive in their recent history. The HSE's National Educational Psychological Service noted that the change had been welcomed by the families it works with, many of whom had advocated for it for years.
What's Next
CAO Round 1 offers are due to be issued on Wednesday, 26 August, at 2:00 pm, with students having until 1 September to accept. The window for applying to view marked scripts opens on Tuesday, 25 August, with appeals to be submitted between 30 and 31 August. The State Examinations Commission has indicated that it will review the 2026 results day arrangements with a view to building on the inclusion milestone in future years.
