Olwyn Enright
Question:44 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to ensure the examination system accurately reflects the curriculum taught in the leaving certificate cycle. [14969/02]
Ceisteanna – Questions (Resumed). Priority Questions. - State Examinations.
I offer my good wishes to the two spokespersons opposite on their recent appointments.
They will go easy on the Minister.
Curricula and syllabi are devised by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and approved by my Department. The approved syllabus for a particular subject is issued to schools along with guidelines for teachers which indicate the depth of treatment recommended for the various topics within a syllabus. As part of the in-service programme for teachers which normally accompanies the introduction of a new syllabus, a draft sample paper or sample questions are issued for discussion. The Department subsequently issues a sample paper which reflects the agreed consensus regarding the structure, format and layout of the paper, choice of questions and mark allocation.
When an examination paper is being finalised, it is important that the questions are based on the syllabus content. The examination paper in a given year does not ask questions on each and every topic within a syllabus. There are changes from year to year in the range of topics examined and from time to time in the type of question used to examine aspects of a given topic.
When the examination is held all observations concerning the examination paper that are received from subject associations, teacher unions, parents, teachers and candidates are forwarded to the chief examiner in advance of the marking conference. The marking scheme is developed at the conference by the examining team drawn from teachers of the subject. In this way, experienced teachers are able to input their own considered views into the framing and development of the marking scheme. It would be inappropriate for me or any other politician to interfere in the work of the chief examiners and the examining teams.
The detailed marking schemes for each subject are published and any candidate who chooses to view his or her marked scripts is able to see at first hand how the marking schemes were applied in his or her own case. My Department also publishes chief examiners' reports on a range of the examination subjects each year so as to inform schools, teachers and others about the performance of candidates in the examinations.
I return the compliment to the Minister and congratulate him on his appointment.
I accept the Minister's point that it would be inappropriate to interfere with the marking system but it comes within his responsibility to ensure that the curriculum which is taught is the same as that examined on the examination paper. This year's leaving certificate biology paper is a good example of what I am trying to explain. The questions on the paper were peripheral to the course and were not considered to be its main points. How can the Minister ensure that the course taught in each school is the same, that pupils are taught exactly what is on the curriculum and that the examination paper reflects this? The questions may have been on the course but were not taught to the same standard in each school.
The Deputy's question is one for the inspectorate but I can confirm that no question was asked on the leaving certificate examination which was not contained in the syllabus. How teachers choose to teach their subjects is a matter for themselves and for the schools, subject to inspection by my Department. A habit has grown up of trying to predict what is on examination papers. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. I assure the Deputy that the papers set for the leaving and junior certificates and for all State examinations contain only material which was on the curriculum and in the syllabus and nothing outside that.
The standard of some of the papers, particularly of the aural French examination, was more difficult to understand than in previous years. One student who has lived in a French speaking country for 11 years could not understand the French aural tape. It has been widely accepted by both teachers and students that both the halls in which the examinations took place and the quality of the tapes were of a standard different from those used in practice examinations. How does the Minister intend to address this problem in future years?
May I ask a supplementary question?
No. This time is for Priority Questions. Deputy Higgins is aware of the rules. Only the Deputy who submitted the question is entitled to ask a supplementary.
And only two parties are allowed to submit questions.
I am aware of some of the statements which have been made in relation to the aural French examination. Indeed, this is not the first time there have been problems with tapes. There have been difficulties in hearing tapes and with the speed of tapes.
The Minister should ask Deputy O'Donoghue and Mr. Ray MacSharry about that.
All of those things are brought to the attention of the chief examiner and taken into account when the examinations are being marked. This is not the first year there have been problems with tapes. I am aware of cases in individual schools in the last number of years but these are taken fully into account. In all such cases the priority is to ensure that no student is at a disadvantage because of a problem with a tape. I assure the Deputy that this will continue to be the case.