Mr. Paul Rolston:

The most important thing about the calculated grade system is that it is seen to be fair and equitable. That has always been the desire from the first time it was discussed. That commitment has been given by every partner in education as we have worked through that system. We have indicated that we will not know how satisfactory the system is until the results are delivered. However, in fairness, a number of the potential issues have been looked at and addressed. The general consensus among parents is that they have been addressed satisfactorily. The proof will not be fully delivered until we see the results and how they fit in with CAO and college openings. There has been a lot of focus right through the process and parents are generally happy. There will always be some students and parents who are unhappy. The appeals process and the transparency of that process will be critical. The calculated grade system has never been perfect. There has never been a possible perfect solution to it. We need to make sure that we address the issues as we go and that the final result is acceptable to most people. I believe most parents think that to date it has been reasonably addressed but that needs to continue and have a knock-on effect into third level. There will always be individual cases which may come through the courts but which hopefully can be dealt with through the system. There are no specific scenarios that we can identify right now that any large cohort of parents are looking for. They are just looking for fairness and equity.