State Examinations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 May 2014

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Ceisteanna (285)

Alan Farrell

Ceist:

285. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills regarding reform of the junior cycle in secondary schools, the measures he will put in place to ensure impartiality where teachers are correcting the examination work of their own students; his plans to ensure that a proportion of such examination work will be reviewed by the State Examinations Commission on a random basis before results are released; the proportion of papers that will be checked for this once the reformed system is phased in; the form of appeals process that will be established as part of the reformed junior cycle student award system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23093/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The topics identified by the Deputy form part of the discussions that I will ask my officials to continue to have with the partners, particularly through the National Working Group on the Junior Cycle. At present I have received some suggestions, particularly from the management/patron bodies, which will inform the discussions going forward. I continue to await similar written submissions from the teacher unions. It would not be appropriate, however, at this time to provide a definite response when the deliberations are ongoing.

The door is open for such discussions.