THE Minister for Education has announced a package of reforms designed to avoid a repetition of the marking errors which happened in last year's Leaving Certificate art examination.
Ms Breathnach told the ASTI conference in Killarney that from this year the craft work component of the art exam would be examined in schools by external examiners.
Previously, the craft work was sent to the Department of Education's examination branch in Athlone for marking.
Controversy arose earlier this year when it was discovered that craft work submitted by almost 50 students in last year's exam had disappeared, and the students were not credited for their work.
From now on, Leaving and Junior Certificate results will be accompanied by information notifying schools of a case where a student's result is not based on all the required components of the subject.
This measure tackles the cause of last year's errors, in which the absence of marks for the craft work component was not picked up in subsequent cross checks. The computer systems in the Department will also be improved to cope with this development.
Ms Breathnach acknowledged that the mistakes made last year had caused "real distress" to students, their families and their teachers.
The Minister said the changes were in line with the thinking of Price Waterhouse, the management consultants she appointed to investigate errors made in the marking of the art exam.
Its report will be published later this month. For the first time, the Department will operate a telephone hot line after this year's exam results are issued in mid August.
However, Ms Breathnach appeared to indicate that this service would only provide information for schools, rather than students and parents.
She promised that her Department would publish a further 13 chief examiners' reports in various Junior and Leaving Certificate subjects.
This follows the publication, for the first time, of 20 such reports last year. Reports in the remaining subjects will be published next year.
Ms Breathnach was applauded by delegates when she referred to the welfare service for teachers which is being established on a pilot basis this autumn.
She said her Department had drawn up a draft scheme to allow teachers who have suffered illness to return to work on a gradual basis.
She promised to press for more investment in the teaching profession, in schools and in young people.