Vol. 442 No. 5
201 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has for the assessment of pupils for examination purposes to be carried out by teachers during non-school time; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The certificate examinations involve a number of assessment modes, including written examinations, oral and aural examinations and practical tests. I assume that the question refers to assessments which are conducted and marked by examiners who meet the candidates in the course of the assessment.
The assessments in question are the oral examinations for the leaving certificate, which are held in March-April, the leaving certificate practical examination in music, which is held in March, the junior certificate practical examination in local studies, which is held in June, and the new junior certificate practical examinations in home economics and music, which are scheduled to be held in the period between March and the end of May. All of these examinations are held in school time but the examination in local studies, which is an option within the science syllabus, is held at a time when examination classes only are in attendance in schools. Only about 1,200 students in 46 schools take the local studies option.
I am aware of the increasing concern of parents and school authorities about the impact of examinations which are held prior to June on the instruction time available to students. The arrangements introduced this year for the new junior certificate practicals in home economics and music followed extensive discussions with the managerial authorities and teacher unions and were intended to allow for significant flexibility in the scheduling of these tests with a view to minimum impact on instruction time. These were introduced on a pilot basis for 1994 only and will be reviewed and evaluated.
