A senior teaching union figure has refuted claims the Leaving Cert is being "dumbed down" - despite evidence that the number gaining honours has risen significantly over the past decade.
John MacGabhann, research officer with the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), said the increase in honours grades could be attributed chiefly to less rigid marking and the introduction of more "user-friendly" courses in English and other subjects.
The latest figures show that the number securing honours (grade C3 - 60 per cent or higher) in the Leaving Cert has increased in nine of the 10 most popular subjects. The honours rate has increased by 12 per cent in English. Other subjects - including art (up 16 per cent), home economics (up 14 per cent), French (up 10 per cent) and business (up 11 per cent) also registered a big increase.
Speaking on Newstalk 106, Mr MacGabhann said marking schemes were now much less rigid and conservative, which was one of the factors behind the better grades.
Not surprisingly, the head of the State's largest grind school said the increased grades were linked to the boom in grinds.
Ray Kearns of the Institute of Education said the boom in grinds meant students were better prepared for the exam - and this was pushing up grades. Parents, he said, realised the critical importance of the Leaving Cert, with increasing numbers now prepared to pay for tuition.
A survey this week found that more than two-thirds of all Leaving Cert students were taking grinds, at a cost to their parents of up to €50 an hour.
Rory Mulvey of Student Enrichment Services - which conducted the survey - also claimed there was no "dumbing down".
He said it would be surprising if there had not been an increase in Leaving Cert grades given the increasing transparency in the system. For the past six years, students and teachers have been able to view exam scripts if they appeal a result.
Employers' group Ibec yesterday called for exam changes amid concerns about falling standards in maths, the only subject where honours have not increased over the past decade.