Written Answers. - Examination Fees.
Seán Barrett
Question:
84
Mr. Barrett
asked the
Minister for Education
the cost to an applicant of sitting the junior certificate examination and the leaving certificate examination; the cost of sitting each of these examinations for each of the previous five years; if she will give a comparison of these costs with the equivalent examinations in other EC countries; and if persons from Northern Ireland sitting the leaving certificate here incur any cost.
In referring to the cost to an applicant, I take it that the Deputy is referring to the fees charged by my Department for entry to the certificate examinations.
There are a number of categories of fees, depending on whether the student is an ordinary school candidate, a school candidate who is repeating the leaving, or an external candidate, i.e. a candidate who is not attending a recognised school.
The junior certificate fees for ordinary school candidates were: 1994, £41; 1993, £37; 1992, £37.
The junior certificate examination was introduced in 1992. It replaced the intermediate certificate. The fees for the intermediate certificate were: 1991, £34; 1990, £33; 1989, £32.
The level of fees for ordinary school candidates for the leaving certificate fees were: 1994, £44; 1993, £40; 1992, £40; 1991, £37.50; 1990, £36; 1989, £35.
The entry fees payable in respect of candidates who remained in school to repeat the leaving certificate were: 1994, £120; 1993, £108; 1992, £108; 1991, £100; 1990, £100; 1989, £100.
A course fee of £100 is also payable in respect of such candidates. The course fee has remained at £100 since its introduction. I should add that, where the parent or guardian of such a candidate is dependent on a medical card, the course fee is waived and the entry fee is reduced to the fee payable by ordinary school candidates.
The fee payable by an ordinary school candidate may be reduced on grounds of particular hardship. The amount of the reduction in the case of any pupil concerned will be determined at the discretion of the school authority, subject to the overall amount of such reductions not exceeding a specified amount notified by my Department to each school or vocational education committee.
The fees payable by external candidates for 1994 and the previous five years were: 1994, £132; 1993, £124; 1992, £115; 1991, £115; 1990, £111; 1989, £106.
I should add that in the case of external candidates, reduced fees are payable where the candidate is sitting the leaving certificate for the first time, where the candidate or the candidate's parents are medical card holders or where the candidate is taking less than three subjects.
Details of the fees charged in the other EU countries for comparable examinations are not readily available. In any event, the Deputy will appreciate the difficulty in making comparisons between examinations systems which differ significantly.
Applications are occasionally received from individual students from Northern Ireland who wish to sit the leaving certificate examination as external candidates. Such candidates pay entry fees in accordance with the provisions for external candidates generally.
