Vol. 481 No. 6
84 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for rejecting an external evaluation of the process of examining papers and other work in the leaving certificate particularly in relation to the English papers. [16713/97]
The Price Waterhouse report on the leaving certificate examinations appeals process stated that the Department of Education secures the maximum degree of independence in the remarking of scripts on appeal. The report strongly advocated the need to ensure that nothing is done which would give appeals candidates an unfair advantage over the general body of candidates. Price Waterhouse acknowledged that first and second markings of candidates' work are carried out under a regime designed to ensure that the same set of standards is applied to both markings. In order to ensure fairness to all candidates there is no realistic way of having appeal candidates' work marked by any person or body external to the examination process itself.
