Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004
242 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Science the failure rate over each of the past four years in the SCG examination; if he intends to review the standard being set for this exam by his Department; if he will incorporate a classroom based assessment as past of the exam and set a focused syllabus for exam purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7489/04]
View answerI established a working group to review all aspects of the syllabus and examination for the scrúdú le haghaidh cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge in 2001. The report of the working group was recently submitted to me and a copy has been published on my Department's website. Issues dealt with in the report include the content and format of the examination modules, the standard of the examinations and courses of study for applicants for the examinations. The report is under consideration and decisions on the recommendations contained in it, including a recommendation that teaching methodology should be assessed by means of a classroom based practical assessment, will be taken in due course. The working group earlier drafted an interim syllabus which was circulated to all schools in December 2002.
The SCG examinations held in October, 2003 were the first series of SCG examinations to be based on this syllabus. Copies of the interim syllabus, which included a reading list of prose and poetry to be studied for the examinations, are available on request from primary administration section 1, Department of Education and Science, Cornamaddy, Athlone, County Westmeath. An updated language syllabus for the SCG has also been published on the Department's website together with a handbook for the examination which was drafted by the working group. The handbook contains detailed information on the SCG and provides answers to a wide range of questions raised by candidates. It is planned to produce a textbook of relevant prose and poetry for future examinations.
The failure rates (%) for each section of the scrúdú le haghaidh cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge for the past four years are as follows:
|
Year |
Paper 1 |
Paper 2 |
Aural |
Oral |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2000 |
51.9 |
57.9 |
53.3 |
44.0 |
|
2001 |
43.0 |
46.1 |
30.4 |
39.1 |
|
2002 |
36.4 |
54.4 |
22.6 |
45.6 |
|
2003 |
73.4 |
68.0 |
70.3 |
57.9 |
