asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that candidates at the secondary schools leaving certificate examination, who are desirous of taking music and physics, are compelled to forgo one or the other because both subjects are scheduled for the same hour, and, if so, if he will have the time-table altered to enable such candidates to do both subjects.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leaving Certificate Examination Subjects.
In order to avoid having to extend the examination over an inordinately long time, it is the practice to schedule certain subjects for the same hour on the time-table.
The subjects so scheduled are in groups, from any of which groups, in the Department's experience over the years, it is very unusual to find a candidate taking more than one subject.
No candidate is compelled to forgo any subject because the examination in that subject is scheduled for the same hour as that for another subject.
Where a candidate indicates that he proposes to take two subjects scheduled for the same hour, arrangements are made to enable him to take the two subjects at different hours. In such circumstances precautions are of course taken to ensure that no unfair advantage can be derived by any candidate from such special arrangement.