Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2013
87. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action he will take to ensure that there is no repeat of the events that happened with the mathematics paper in the leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42250/13]
View answerThe errors which occurred in Leaving Certificate Mathematics were the subject of a report to me by the SEC in August. The SEC acknowledges that these errors may have caused confusion and distress for some candidates and has apologised publicly. I am assured by the SEC that these errors were addressed through the marking process to ensure that candidates were not disadvantaged. In their report the SEC has set out a number of measures intended to minimise the risk of errors, these include:
- adopting a more formalised approach to strategic work-force planning
- Reviewing the personnel structures and protocols for paper preparation in each subject
- Analysing all post print errors with a view to identifying patterns and underlying causes. Overall the intention of these measures is to identify where training needs may arise or procedures and protocols might be strengthened. The SEC will brief me on the outcome of these measures in the coming weeks.
