Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 5

Written Answers. - Leaving Certificate Results.

Micheál Martin

Question:

112 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the communications, if any, received by her Department from the principal of the Ursuline Convent, Sligo and from parents of students attending the school in relation to the results of the 1995 leaving certificate art examination; the precise dates on which this correspondence was received; and the manner in which her Department replied. [3327/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

Following the issue of the leaving certificate results on 16 August 1995, an application for a recheck in respect of three art candidates was received from Ursuline College, Sligo on 25 August. A letter from the school dated 1 September was received in my Department on 5 September 1995, indicating the school's disappointment with the examination results of 12 candidates in higher level art, including the three who had already sought a recheck. The letter also inquired if other candidates should seek rechecks.

In response, my Department rang Ursuline College on 6 September and advised the school that, in line with normal procedure, a recheck should be sought for any candidate whose performance in the examination was significantly at variance with that expected by the school. Applications for recheck were subsequently received on behalf of four further candidates on 11 September. The results of the seven rechecks were issued to the school on 4 October, the date of issue of all recheck results.

On or about 20 November, my Department received a phone call from the mother of a candidate from Ursuline College during which she requested a reply to a letter which she had written in October regarding her daughter's art result. As this letter could not be located, the mother was requested to send on a copy. A copy of the letter dated 7 October was then forwarded, together with a covering letter dated 21 November. This correspondence was received in the Department on or about 22 November.

Subsequently a check was carried out on the marks awarded to the candidate. This revealed that marks had not been credited for the craftwork component and on further investigation it emerged that none of the candidates from Ursuline College had been credited with marks for craftwork.

The school was contacted by phone on 12 December and arrangements were made for a visit by one of my Department's officials on the following day. During the course of this visit it was confirmed that the craftwork material had been despatched by the school to my Department in June 1995. Assessments from the school regarding the ability of the candidates in craftwork were also obtained. My Department issued amended leaving certificate result forms to Ursuline College on 21 December by fax, following a phone call with the school principal. The amended result forms were also posted on the same day. The mother, whose query brought the error to light, was also contacted by telephone on 21 December by an official of my Department and was informed of the revised result.

Subsequently, at the invitation of the school principal, two senior officials of my Department visited Ursuline College on 24 January 1996 and met parents, students, the school principal, school staff and representatives of the board of management. Prior to this meeting, on 19 January 1996, each of the students involved received a personal letter from my Department, care of the school, notifying them of the arrangements for the meeting.

The Deputy will be aware that this issue is the subject of an external inquiry which is being conducted by Price Waterhouse. The report of this inquiry will be made public.

Micheál Martin

Question:

113 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the representations, if any, she received concerning the operation of the 1995 leaving certificate art examination; and if so, the precise dates as to when these representations were received; and the response, if any, she made to these representations. [3328/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I take it the Deputy is referring to representations addressed directly to me as Minister.

Subsequent to the remarking of the scripts of some art candidates which was carried out in August 1995, I received a representation expressing concerns regarding this occurrence. My response set out the fact that an departmental inquiry into this issue was then ongoing.

In addition the records of my Department show that five letters have been received, all in the past week or so, regarding the operation of the 1995 leaving certificate art examination. Replies to these are in the course of preparation.

Micheál Martin

Question:

114 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the number of cases, prior to 1995, when the leaving certificate student examination craftwork was mislaid or went missing; the number of students involved in each case; the action, if any, taken by her Department in response to such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3329/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

The records of my Department show that, in 1994, there was no instance where the packets of craftwork despatched by a school were not received. Records of packets received from schools prior to 1994 are not available as such records are normally retained only to assist with inquiries regarding the results of the current year. It is, however, an extremely rare occurrence for a packet to be lost.

In order to allow time for craftwork items such as pottery to dry out, packets of craftwork are despatched to my Department over a period of about two weeks. Occasionally, there is a delay in sending these or they may be delayed in transit in the postal or rail network. When this occurs the procedure is for my Department to contact the school to ascertain details of when and how the craftwork was dispatched.

Where, very exceptionally, a packet of craftwork cannot be located, the procedure is for my Department to secure an assessment in respect of the candidates involved.