MINISTER FOR Education Ruairí Quinn is hopeful that changes to the Leaving Certificate can be implemented in two to three years’ time. The exam is on course to be radically reformed with grade options almost halved and pupils facing a possible lottery for university places.
An audit of the exam has found questions are predictable and students memorise answers. A report for Mr Quinn was also critical of the huge number of very specialised courses offered by third-level colleges – and the lack of detailed information available to students. It wants to see students build up general skills before opting for more specialised courses.
The new proposals were drawn up jointly by the Higher Education Authority and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). Mr Quinn has said he agrees with the thrust of the recommendations in the report.
“I’m hopeful now that we can get changes implemented following discussions and analysis with the education partners in time for a Leaving Cert examination in about two to three years’ time,” he said yesterday.
The Minister said the report recommended a return to an eight-point grading system. The proposed grades would be scaled down from the current 14 options to A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F and NG.
Mr Quinn warned that this could result in more competition for third-level courses and the possible implementation of a lottery system among pupils with the same grades. He said it was still too early to elaborate. “You’re going to get a cluster of students pretty much bunched around the same grade level that would be differentiated in the present points system. These are matters that will be teased out.”
He said the quality of the curriculum had suffered as a result of pupils going into exams with prepared answers. “When the exams come out . . . the commentary from education commentators frequently is, ‘It was a good exam, there were no surprises, it was as predicted’,” said Mr Quinn.
“That’s the subtext for saying that . . . teachers who are under pressure . . . will concentrate on predicted questions that are likely to arise. Therefore the quality of the curriculum of the Leaving Cert is abandoned or bypassed in favour of concentrating on those questions that will arise and the preparation of tailored answers."