Bernard Allen
Ceist:57 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the changes he intends to make to the examination system to ensure that questions reflect the curriculum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14776/02]
Written Answers. - State Examinations.
Curricula and syllabi are devised by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and approved by my Department. The approved syllabus for a subject is issued to schools along with guidelines for teachers which indicate the depth of treatment recommended for the various topics within a syllabus. As part of the in-service programme for teachers, which normally accompanies the introduction of a new syllabus, a draft sample paper of sample questions is issued for discussion. The Department subsequently issues a sample paper which reflects the agreed consensus regarding the structure, format and layout of the paper, choice of questions and mark allocation.
When an examination paper is being finalised it is important that the questions are based on the syllabus content. The examination paper in a given year does not ask questions on each and every topic within a syllabus. There are changes from year to year in the range of topics that is examined and occasionally in the type of question that is used to examine aspects of a given topic.
When the examination is held, all observations concerning the examination paper that are received from subject associations, teacher unions, parents, teachers and candidates are forwarded to the chief examiner in advance of the marking conference. The marking scheme is developed at the conference by the examining team drawn from teachers of the subject. In this way experienced teachers are able to input their considered views into the framing and development of the marking scheme. It would be inappropriate for me or any other politician to interfere in the work of the chief examiners and the examining teams.
The detailed marking schemes for each subject are published and any candidate who chooses to view his-her marked scripts can see how the marking schemes were applied in his-her case. My Department also publishes reports by chief examiners on a range of examination subjects each year so as to inform schools, teachers and others about the performance of candidates in the examinations.