Exams body changes procedure after last year’s English paper leak debacle

THE State Examinations Commission (SEC) has changed how exam papers are opened and distributed in exam halls following the debacle last year when details of English questions were leaked on the first day of the exams.

A superintendent at a school in Louth handed out copies of Paper 2 due to be taken the next day, meaning all those taking the subject had to sit an alternative Paper 2 on a Saturday morning as the error was alerted to the SEC too late for the replacement exam to be sent to schools.

The amendments follow a report to the previous education minister, Batt O’Keeffe, on the incident. However, the SEC has not given details of what sanctions, if any, were taken against the retired teacher, whose mistake cost €1.7 million.