Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2014
151. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has costed the additional infrastructure needed for schools to store examination materials securely; if her Department has carried out a cost benefit analysis on the proposed changes to the junior certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47430/14]
View answer154. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the cost of the new junior certificate will be reduced from its current level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47433/14]
View answer155. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated financial saving from having teachers correct their own students work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47434/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 154 and 155 together.
I put a revised proposal on the table on 10th November which is significantly different from that originally proposed. This has not been accepted by the teacher unions.
Reform will be introduced gradually over a period of time and will only be fully implemented in September 2019 (for terminal examination in June 2022). In 2015, €9.3 million has been ringfenced for Junior Cycle reform and there will be no reduction in current costs in 2015. Reductions, if any, would only begin to impact from 2017 (when English the first subject to be introduced is examined).
As you will be aware, my proposals involve continued external marking of all subjects for 60% of the examination by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). In addition, the SEC will be checking a proportion of these marks to ensure consistency, standards and fairness. This will entail additional costs which will need to be fully explored, in the context of the proposed reform.
I will be considering other costs in the context of implementation. This is not a cost saving exercise. It is about the quality of the overall learning experiences of our junior cycle students during these three very important years in their education.
