asked the Minister for Education if he will consider (a) changing the intermediate certificate so that the examination will be set and corrected by each individual teacher in each school and (b) setting up a panel consisting of qualified officials of his Department to ensure that the examination papers will meet the standard, scope and quality of the present intermediate certificate, in order to give a much more accurate evaluation of each student.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Intermediate Certificate Examination.
76.
I do not consider that it would be desirable to change the nature of the intermediate certificate examination in the manner suggested by the Deputy as I do not think that the system proposed would give a more accurate evaluation of each student.
Is the Minister aware that the Norwood Report in Great Britain in 1943 recommended a system such as I have set down in the question which was fully adopted and has proved very successful?
It was not fully adopted by any means. We are watching the system as it operates there but the problem is far more difficult by reason of the population there. We have a more integrated and a smaller community. We have revised the intermediate and leaving certificate examinations and I think we should give the new system a chance.
What about a system of standardisation?
As I say, we are a small community and with our inspection system we have fairly well organised standardisation. With regard to the marks aspect we are getting away from that under the new system which will be in operation in June 12 months. We will have a grading system, so a variation in marks will not be as important as heretofore. Marks and pass and honours will go. When we have the grading system in operation, each student will get a fair evaluation and will not be so dependent on individual marks and particular examiners.