Ms Andrea Feeney:

Again, under junior cycle reform, the students are engaging in different forms of assessment in the classroom. They are engaging with their teachers in other forms of summative assessment, with their classroom-based assessment. There is a lot more information available to them and about their level of attainment that will give them the clues and information that they need about their subject selection and level. In terms of what it would do at a logistical perspective for the SEC, I do not know. I would have to give it some time to think about it. It sounds to me like it could be quite disruptive to have examinations happening two months earlier in the school year. If the students did their examinations in April instead of in June, what happens to them for the rest of the two months of the year? It might be hard in terms of engaging at that point in time. It is a question I had not considered previously. There are teachers in classrooms at the moment who are very capable of giving advice about their level and also the subjects that they plan to take, and they do so. That is for students who have gone directly into fifth year. A lot of students go into transition year and they have the time they need to make up their mind. Even for those who are in fifth year, there should be enough information available professionally in the school to give them that advice. That is not to say that we would not like to have the results out earlier. We would if we were able to.