Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of the costs involved in having second level leaving certificate mock examinations marked externally; his views on parents having to pay for the marking of mock exams; and should he ensure mock exams are assessed internally as a cost saving measure. [7715/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Mock examinations are not part of the State examinations system. The decision to organise and/or charge for mock examinations is made at school level, and mock examinations are not a requirement of my Department. Schools are provided with capitation and school services grants to meet their running costs. Post-primary schools receive school services grant of €201 per pupil plus a capitation grant of €317 per pupil. DEIS schools also receive additional funds for targeted interventions to improve educational outcomes for students at risk. Schools are free to prioritise these resources in accordance with the overall needs of the school.

Assessment is part of the core work of every teacher. While many schools wish to provide students with the experience of assessment under examination conditions, I see no educational advantage in such arrangements being externally marked. Ideally, if there are to be mock exams, they should be marked by the class teacher. Having the class teacher involved in assessment and giving clear feedback to students on strengths and weaknesses is a vital part of assessment for learning. While schools in the free education scheme may seek voluntary contributions from parents, they may not charge fees for teaching and learning activities scheduled as part of the school day, or exclude students from such services for non payment of a fee. It is important for schools to be sensitive to the financial pressures on families.

The Department is not in a position to provide additional funding towards the cost of mock examinations.