Asti to raise concerns over Leaving Cert paper

The ASTi said today it plans to raise  the content of yesterday's Leaving Certificate honours maths paper with the Chief Examiner…

The ASTi said today it plans to raise  the content of yesterday's Leaving Certificate honours maths paper with the Chief Examiner for Maths.

The move comes after concerns were raised about the second maths paper  by students, parents and teachers.

The State Examinations Commission told ireland.comtoday it would raise any complaints about the paper with the chief examiner, who is responsible for overseeing the marking scheme for the exam.

It was reported today that the offending paper was designed to put rote learners at a disadvantage over those who can employ independent mathematical reasoning.

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The ASTI said it will be making its representations through its Maths Subject Representatives.

Meanwhile, Labour Party spokeswoman on education Jan O'Sullivan  called for a review of the paper, describing the amount of criticism surrounding the exam as "extremely significant."

"These are not simply the concerns of people complaining about a difficult exam. Rather they are describing this paper as being unfair and dealing in matters outside the standard syllabus," she said.

"It is unacceptable for students to be examined on matters they would not have been expected to cover in the course of their education. The Leaving Certificate should be an opportunity to display what students have learned, not an occasion to expose gaps in their knowledge," she concluded.

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Éanna Ó Caollaí

Iriseoir agus Eagarthóir Gaeilge An Irish Times. Éanna Ó Caollaí is The Irish Times' Irish Language Editor, editor of The Irish Times Student Hub, and Education Supplements editor.