Review of marking system called for
The National Congress of Catholic Secondary Schools Parent Associations (CSPA) said this year’s grades again show that students taking pass papers are more likely to fail and less likely to get an A.
CSPA spokesperson Barbara Johnston said schools may be diverting better teachers to higher level classes, possibly in an effort to get better results and attract more students.
“We want the education minister to examine this phenomenon and find the reasons why there are such different grades at each level. Students taking ordinary level should be able to reach the same percentage of higher grades as those taking honour papers,” she said.
She said weaker students are being left behind as the Leaving Certificate becomes more competitive, and called for a review of the allocation of marks at ordinary level and of the marking system itself.
Labour Party education spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan made a similar request to ensure there is equality and fairness in the system.
“There is still some concern that certain students are opting for what are considered to be marked less harshly than others. That perception, whether real or imagined, should be cleared up and students should be assured their exams will be marked fairly and appropriately, regardless of the subjects they are studying,” she said.Education Minister Noel Dempsey handed over responsibility for the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams to an independent State Examinations Commission earlier this year.
Last night, a commission spokesperson said no changes could be made until a review of the grading structures was completed. The review was commissioned by Mr Dempsey exactly a year ago to examine issues such as syllabus content and the student body which affect final grades.
The Teachers Union of Ireland said the high failure rates across a wide range of subjects was a reflection of courses needing be reviewed and a senior cycle which must be overhauled. One of the most common issues concerning many of the hundreds of callers to the National Parents Council helpline (1800 265 165) yesterday was failure in maths and higher level Irish. Most third level courses require a pass in maths, while many others require a minimum Irish grade for entry.
Council president Eleanor Petrie said guidance counsellors staffing the lines have been telling parents and students that individual subjects can be repeated without having to pay huge sums of money.
“We also had a lot of people looking for help calculating CAO points and wondering how to have papers rechecked,” she said. She said that any changes to the senior cycle should change the focus to a more practical approach and should reward those students who are not academically strong.
The Union of Students in Ireland warned last night that colleges will struggle to fill places in the next decade unless the Department of Education recruits more mature students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
While over 57,525 students took the Leaving Certificate this year, this number is likely to be around 44,000 by 2015.
