Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
936. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if she has been in contact with the State Exams Commission regarding the delays to Irish oral leaving certificate examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20822/22]
View answerTraditionally, the Leaving Certificate oral language examinations, and Music practical performance tests are conducted by examiners appointed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) over a two-week period, either before or after school Easter holidays depending on how early or late Easter falls in a given year.
For 2022, these examinations took place outside of school time over the first week of the school Easter holidays, with the examinations running in schools during the six- day period Saturday 9 April to Thursday 14 April.
This change to the timing of Orals, as with all decisions in relation to the 2022 Certificate Examinations, was reached in consultation with the Advisory Group on Examinations Planning.
The Advisory Group, which is co-chaired by the State Examinations Commission and the Department of Education, consists of representatives of students, parents, teachers (Teacher Unions), school managerial bodies, and the further and higher education sector.
The change to the timing of the oral examinations and Music, which was strongly supported by stakeholders, was made in response to the need to take steps to limit teacher absences from schools given current challenges associated with sourcing substitute teachers.
Furthermore, it was intended to minimise further disruption to teaching and learning in schools and in particular for those candidates preparing for their examinations.
Arranging the examinations in the initial week of the Easter holidays also ensured that candidates, examiners and school staff had a consecutive ten-day break from school after the examinations have been completed.
I am aware that the SEC has worked very closely with schools and with the education stakeholders this year in order to secure teachers in sufficient numbers so that there are enough examiners to ensure that these tests could be held as scheduled in all schools for all candidates and to provide for attrition as a result of Covid-19.
I am advised by the SEC that unfortunately, Covid-19 had a significant impact on the SEC’s ability to recruit and retain examiners and this is evidenced by the need to reschedule some examinations in a small number of schools where the assigned examiner had become unavailable.
The affected examinations are being rescheduled to the period of the Late Oral examinations commencing on 4 May which had been set aside as a contingency arrangement should that be necessary as a result of attrition from the examining teams owing to Covid-19.
The potential for contingency arrangements becoming necessary was signalled in advance to schools by the SEC which had indicated that should it become necessary the examinations would be rescheduled to the period for the Late Oral examinations commencing on 4 May.
This window will also be used to provide examinations to candidates who miss their oral examination due to illness.
Unfortunately and regrettably, despite every effort made to provide the examinations as scheduled, deferring these examinations at short notice was a necessary step due to the high rates of Covid-19 in society.
