Department refuses to add 30 minutes to Junior Cert paper
The Department of Education has ruled out adding more time to the new Junior Cert English exam.
The Department was forced to outline its position after an online petition from a student calling for extra time.
Tara O'Sullivan's petition has been signed by almost 12,000 students who thought the sample and mock papers for the exam did not include enough time
However, Gary Ó Donnchadha from the Department of Education said the shorter exam was due to more assessment being done in the classroom.
He said: "Adding on time to the examination would be in our view the wrong thing to do, bearing in mind the many new ways teachers and schools have of capturing and celebrating the learning in Junior Cycle."
Officials are being brought before an Oireachtas committee today on foot of a petition started by a 15-year-old Junior Cert student.
Twelve thousand people signed Tara O'Sullivan's petition, "to make the new English Junior Cert Exam fairer by adding thirty extra minutes".
The Joint Committee on Public Petitions agreed to look at the issue and has called in the State Examinations Commission to explain why they won't allow more time.
The Committee has said it's greatly impressed by the petition and Tara's initiative.
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