asked the Minister for Education whether his attention has been drawn to recent reports of complaints by headmasters and others that the Intermediate and Leaving Certificate examinations are examinations which tend to test the amount of cramming or intensive drilling a pupil has received rather than the pupil's real intelligence and ability; and whether he will take steps to institute some reform of these examinations to rectify this situation, in particular in regard to the Honours Leaving Certificate Course.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Intermediate and Leaving Certificate Examinations.
76.
I am aware that complaints of the type mentioned are made from time to time by individuals, but no such complaints have been officially made to me by any of the recognised secondary school associations. I do not agree that the complaints are justified by the facts.
I might add that I have never heard of any examination of the type concerned which could not be charged with lending itself to "cramming" or intensive drilling.
Did the Minister not receive any complaints with regard to the Leaving Certificate geography course?
I do not know whether that arises out of this Question.
It is a separate Question.
The Minister said he had no complaints and I asked him had he any complaints about the stiffness of the geography course in the Leaving Certificate.
We happen to be on another subject. The question was: did I have complaints about examinations lending themselves to cramming —not complaints about the standard of marking.