Mr. Hugh Ahern:

On the Chairman's continuous assessment question, during the week, I was speaking to a member of staff in my school and she made a very valid point. In colleges, it is broken down: there are exams but then there are assessments. It should be offered in the leaving certificate programme. The leaving certificate should be a preparation for moving on to college. In work, people are always being assessed through their work. They could take it out of the junior certificate such as with the curriculum-based assessments. They seem to be going very well even though a lot of them were postponed for this year's junior certificate. I think it should be offered. There was a huge take-up in the accredited grades process, so there probably would be a take up in continuous assessment. It would have to be prepared rigorously by the Department. Guidelines would have to be set out to make it a fair and equal system for everyone. With continuous assessment, teachers who normally teach the class would know what grade the student would get. If they were to be correcting work, my main worry would be that the teacher may move them up a small bit. I am sure it would not happen; teachers take their jobs very seriously. But if it were to happen, would it not be better to do it like the leaving certificate whereby the papers are sent somewhere in the country during the academic year to be corrected?

On the applied sciences in girls' schools, when the students from the girls' school in Mallow come to my school, the teachers who teach applied sciences offer the teaching of applied sciences during the evening. We do not offer metalwork or engineering; we only offer woodwork and technical graphics. I know there is a huge uptake in those with the girls.

Home economics should be offered in boys' schools. I think there would be a huge uptake. One of the most successful chefs in the world, Gordon Ramsay, is male. It should not just be considered as a subject for females. It should be offered. I hope I have answered the Chairman's questions.