Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his aides for attending. Many of my concerns have been raised, so I will await the replies. Most of those present are former teachers and I will bow to their knowledge and experience, but I am a parent and I know what children go through when facing exams. My son, who did 11 years in medical school between college and general practitioner, GP, training college, always says that the hardest exam he ever took was the leaving certificate.

Children get sick, their nerves can take over or they can just have a bad day at the office when they take their exams, but at least the continuous assessment element would give them a chance to catch up. It is vital for them to have that chance.

I apologise for arriving late and my questions might already have been asked. Students can change teachers a number of times during the three year period in question. Will their final exams be set by different teachers or by the initial teachers? It may sound simplistic, but the main concern parents have raised with me is the possibility that a teacher might not like a student. It is a major issue. It happens; there is no point in pretending it does not. Sometimes, a teacher believes that a child who is too cocky needs to be put back in his or her place. Perhaps the child has been disrespectful to the teacher. There may be a conflict between a teacher and a child. I presume an appeals system will be in place for those who believe that a child has been victimised, for want of a better word, by a teacher. Teachers are professionals and I hope they are above such conduct.

As has been stated, teachers already assess their own students at the highest level, that being, third level. That system has never failed. This reform will be successful if we can overcome the impasse. Some people embrace change while others reject it. In the heel of the hunt, the students will suffer if we do not get this issue sorted soon.