Leaving Cert oral exams in Irish and modern languages may be under threat unless more teachers come forward as examiners, the State exams body has signalled.
In a letter to school principals the exams body says the "inevitable consequence of not resolving the examiner supply problem for 2007 is that it will not be possible to examine all candidates during the exams", scheduled to begin on April 16th.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) says it hopes the orals can still run smoothly as scheduled "but this can only happen with the co-operation of all concerned".
In his letter, SEC director of operations Aidan Farrell tells school principals: "Applications received to date for the 2007 tests show there may be insufficient examiners available to cater for the Leaving Certificate oral tests, with Irish, French and Spanish applications showing the most significant shortfall."
Mr Farrell signals that the current system - which relies on teachers leaving their own school to conduct oral exams elsewhere - is struggling to cope.
Teachers are paid about €800 plus travel and other expenses for the week-long orals.
Many principals, however, are reluctant to release teachers at such a critical time in the school year.
The SEC needs to recruit more than 1,000 teachers to run the exams, but the number of applicants - received before last week's deadline - is well below this. The recruitment of oral examiners has become an increasing problem for the SEC in recent years.
The SEC is also struggling to recruit teachers to conduct Junior Certificate practical tests in home economics and music.
Many principals like to see their teachers assisting their own pupils in the run-up to the written exams, instead of being out of school during the orals.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin last night exhorted teachers to come forward as examiners for the orals. "The important thing is that students should not be affected in any way," she said.
The SEC says it appreciates how the current model for conducting the oral and practical tests "impacts on tuition time and, where teachers are released, creates difficulties for schools in relation to cover for those absent".
At present, a group representing teachers, school managers, parents and the Department of Education is considering an SEC proposal that part of the orals be held in the first few days of the two-week Easter break. Instead of being held entirely during term time and disrupting school timetables, they could be held during the last three days of the second term and into the first three days of the two-week holiday period.
The SEC makes a special appeal for examiners in oral Irish, French and Spanish.