Universities reject concerns student grades are artificially hiked

UNIVERSITIES have rejected concerns that student grades are being hiked, despite Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s ordering an analysis of awards going back over a decade.

The review of so-called “grade inflation” by his officials follows concerns raised by multinational employers that standards may have dropped in third-level degrees and the Leaving Certificate, which some critics have suggested has been dumbed down as evidenced by rising numbers of top grades. Former Intel chairman Craig Barrett recently commented that Ireland needs to improve its education system to continue attracting technological investment, pointing particularly to the average performance of Irish students in maths and science.

Mr O’Keeffe said factors such as revised curricula, greater focus on exams and better training for teachers, may have influenced increases in top Leaving Certificate results. But, he said, there is a perception of a significant increase in the number of first class honours being offered in the third level sector. “I want to make sure there is quality, first of all, in the third-level sector and, secondly, that there’s consistency right across the board.”