Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 2

Written Answers. - State Examinations.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

64 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of upgrades awarded in each subject in the 2001 leaving and junior certificate examinations; and the action which he will take to safeguard against such errors in the future. [2789/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The information sought on the appeals statistics for the 2001 leaving and junior certificate examinations is as outlined on the attached appendices.

In recent years I have introduced a number of measures aimed at ensuring that the number of errors are kept to a minimum, and that where errors do occur, they are detected and remedied as quickly as possible. In particular, leaving certificate candidates are now afforded the opportunity to view their scripts both before and after the re-marking process. In addition, I have introduced a process whereby a candidate who is unhappy with the outcome of the appeal process may get formal confirmation from an examin ation commissioner that all appeal processes were carried out properly. Examination commissioners are drawn from a panel of persons independent of the Department.

More recently, I have asked senior officials to convene a working group to conduct a comprehensive review of monitoring procedures and I have determined that this group should involve some inspectors who are chief examiners as well as teachers who have considerable experience as chief advising and advising examiners.

Leaving Certificate Appeals 2001

Subject	Level	Candidature	Appeals	Upgrades
Accounting	A	4,941	139	43
Accounting	G	2,458	7	3
Agricultural Economics	A	219	12	3
Agricultural Science	A	2,146	29	9
Agricultural Science	G	769	1	1
Applied Mathematics	A	1,273	26	4
Arabic	A	123	7	2
Art	A	6,450	263	54
Art	G	2,588	1	0
Biology	A	14,583	573	161
Biology	G	9,477	20	7
Business	A	16,415	654	245
Business	G	7,824	2	2
Chemistry	A	5,214	263	53
Chemistry	G	1,141	3	1
Classical Studies	A	722	63	11
Construction Studies	A	6,209	22	9
Economic History	A	333	17	7
Economics	A	3,720	231	49
Engineering	A	3,228	13	6
English	A	31,346	1,619	458
English	G	21,937	112	69
French	A	16,054	621	127
French	G	17,764	58	10
Geography	A	21,805	800	274
Geography	G	7,166	8	3
German	A	5,874	167	47
German	G	3,505	7	0
History	A	7,071	488	193
History	G	4,199	1	0
Home Economics – S+ S	A	14,100	222	51
Home Economics – S+ S	G	5,305	3	0
Irish	A	15,719	679	199
Irish	B	5,238	2	0
Irish	G	29,868	91	22
Italian	A	102	16	7
Latin	A	134	8	1
Mathematics	A	9,938	544	95
Mathematics	B	5,227	2	1
Mathematics	G	39,984	705	124
Music	A	2,955	105	14
Physics	A	5,643	239	30
Physics	G	2,768	6	2
Physics & Chemistry	A	755	18	5
Spanish	A	871	41	11
Spanish	G	612	2	1
Technical Drawing	A	3,199	62	16
Technical Drawing	G	3,181	1	1

Junior Certificate Appeals 2001

Subject	Level	Candidature	Appeals	Upgrades
Art, Craft, Design	A	12,164	267	84
Art, Craft, Design	G	9,290	8	2
Business Studies	A	25,731	34	8
Civic, Social & Political Education	C	58,339	336	135
Classical Studies	A	476	5	2
English	A	36,875	273	118
English	G	20,240	10	2
French	A	27,245	60	16
French	G	14,464	3	2
Geography	A	42,069	115	48
German	A	9,088	41	10
History	A	37,207	155	52
History	G	17,059	1	0
Home Economics	A	15,338	18	7
Home Economics	G	5,323	2	0
Irish	A	22,539	137	52
Irish	B	5,634	1	0
Irish	G	27,683	6	1
Latin	A	560	4	1
Mat. Tech. (Wood)	A	10,230	14	5
Mathematics	A	21,113	93	22
Mathematics	B	7,909	1	0
Mathematics	G	30,162	19	9
Metalwork	A	5,515	3	1
Metalwork	G	2,368	1	0
Music	A	6,659	26	2
Science	A	30,784	55	17
Science	G	19,794	1	0
Science/Loc. Studies	A	381	1	0
Spanish	A	1,245	6	0
Technical Graphics	A	7,714	11	2
Technology	A	2,276	3	1
Typewriting	A	246	1	1