Vol. 524 No. 2
416 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science when phase four examinations for electrical apprentices will be marked in order to enable apprentices to proceed to the next stage of their apprenticeship; the reasons for the delay in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21989/00]
The operational arrangements relating to the assessment and certification of apprentices under the standards based apprenticeship system which was agreed by all relevant groups was set out in a letter from my Department to the various institutes of technology in December 1995. The arrangements clearly stated that assessment for phase 4 would consist of two occasions of testing and that a terminal examination would only apply at the end of phase 6 of the apprenticeship system. This latter would be the only situation in which payment for an examination as part of the apprenticeship system would be made.
In August 1999 it was brought to the attention of my Department that certain of the institutes of technology were conducting both occasions of phase 4 testing at the end of phase 4. My Department subsequently issued Circular Letter No 1T 9/99 on the assessment regulations governing phase 4 procedures reiterating the position as set out in 1995. All directors of Institutes of Technology and the president of Dublin Institute of Technology were directed to ensure that the sanctioned arrangements would be complied with.
Notwithstanding this direction, the Department has been advised that in latter months certain phase 4 assessment results have been withheld by staff in the institutes, who are TUI members, who are seeking examination payments in respect of this testing. Efforts to resolve the dispute are ongoing.
