Padraic McNamara, chief executive officer, State Examinations Commission
As the man responsible for the smooth running of the Leaving and Junior Cert exams, Padraic McNamara can expect a few very busy weeks. The logistics are staggering. Over 117,000 candidates will sit exams in 4,500 centres. Almost one million grades will be issued in 90 subjects. The process will generate a mountain of paper; some three million exam papers made up of 34 million A4 pages. McNamara is said to be calm and unruffled before the deluge. Here's hoping exam students feel the same way.
A former Department of Education official, McNamara transferred to the new independent exam body on its establishment two years ago. The move was a response to a debacle in the mid-1990s when some Leaving Cert Art papers went missing. The new exams body has an impressive record. So far, there have been no lost papers and few hitches.
The exams are only the beginning of a long summer for McNamara. Did someone mention the huge task of co-ordinating the 6,000-plus army of examiners, poised to correct them?
Sean Flynn