asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that a question in the Leaving Certificate Geography paper, relating to the geology of karst country, carrying sixty marks was not covered in the school course; and whether he will take steps to have results on this paper reviewed in the light of this anomaly.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Leaving Certificate Geography Paper.
49.
I am not so aware, nor do I accept that the question concerned was outside the course.
The fact, however, that it has been represented that candidates in general did not make a detailed study of this aspect of structural geography is being borne in mind in connection with the examination of the candidates' scripts.
Is the Minister aware that, finding myself unfamiliar with the word "Karst," I searched the 12 volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary and failed to find it. On reference, however, to the “Supplement and Bibliography”——
It is against precedent to give quotations and the Deputy is about to establish a precedent now.
I shall not quote. I have since discovered that the word "Karst" means——
This sounds like quoting.
No, sir. This is what I have discovered: the name of a barren limestone plateau .... marked by abrupt ridges, caverns, sinks, underground streams ....
This is clearly a quotation.
Perhaps the Minister would bear in mind that this word— it is an obscure word—does not appear in any of the 12 volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary and, when the examiners are looking at these papers, seeing this question carried 60 marks, they might be instructed to take a very liberal view of the way in which the candidates answer.
This question appeared on the Honours Leaving Certificate Geography Paper. A high standard is required of those who take that paper. The paper is divided into sections. Each section carries three questions, one of which must be answered. The question to which the Deputy refers had an alternative. In that section therefore there were four questions, one of which had to be done. There was no question of a candidate failing the exam because of not knowing this region in Yugoslavia or the meaning of the word "Karst." It creates a wrong impression to maintain that candidates might fail because of this particular question. There were three other questions from which they could have picked in that section. Sometimes some obscurity exists in questions, but examiners always take that into account when the scripts are examined.