Vol. 502 No. 6
314 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be allowed to change her examination centre for her leaving certificate in view of the pressure she is under and taking into consideration the medical evidence provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8801/99]
315 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be allowed to change her examination centre for her leaving certificate in view of the pressure she is under and taking into consideration the medical evidence provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8802/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together.
The administration of the State examinations annually, catering for about 140,000 candidates in over 4,500 examination centres, is a major logistical challenge. The task would become impossible to administer if students, having been registered to take the examination in one school, were free to subsequently take the examinations in another school. The only reasonable position that the Department can adopt is that, once entered by a particular school, a student must take his or her examinations in a centre in that school. Where a school raises such an issue my Department may exercise some flexibility in exceptional circumstances e.g. illness.
In the case of the candidates referred to by the Deputy the position is that the examinations branch of my Department has not received any communication in relation to this matter from the schools that entered the candidates for the examination.
