Letters to the Editor: Hybrid Leaving Cert penalises the high achiever

There is a fear about grade inflation as the hybrid form of the Leaving Cert enters its third year running. Picture: Larry Cummins 

I am writing to express my concerns with the suggestion that this year, for the third year running, teachers would grade their own students work. As a teacher, I graded my own students for the past two years under duress.

Last year, there was severe grade inflation, despite the standardisation carried out by the minister’s department. This means that many teachers awarded unrealistic grades. Perhaps they felt under pressure to do so and that in itself should be a source of concern to any rational individual. One school in my area had an uncharacteristically high number of students receiving over 600 points — possibly the school’s best result in years. Certain university courses in law, medicine etc, were heavily oversubscribed and had to undergo a lottery system.