Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some stakeholders have suggested that continuous assessment may also be stressful. As we all know, any formal exam is stressful. We all think that continuous assessment will be the be-all and end-all. I personally am very supportive of it but other people who have appeared before the committee may not be as in favour of continuous assessment. They have said it will still be a very stressful time for students and that the term "continuous assessment" has negative connotations. Do the NCCA and the SEC plan to address this issue? Would modularisation, whereby several assignments are completed in the school for each subject with a wide range of topics, be a better option? Would it better prepare students for further and higher education and, indeed, the workplace? As the witnesses know, further and higher education now have gone towards the continuous assessment format. In other words, would it give them better skills for what they will do in future?