Ms Andrea Feeney:

I cannot address the broader system issue in relation to the level of advantage that various schools have but I can address it from the examinations perspective and what the SEC does to recognise that inequity is there. When we are assessing examinations we are looking at issues of fairness, particularly when it comes to the second and third components of assessment. Within subjects that have a coursework element, therefore, be it a portfolio, an oral or aural examination or a project or artefact that a student has to make, there are particular conditions attached to how he or she undertakes that work. It must be in school and under the supervision of the teacher. We very much recognise that if those conditions are not there, it presents opportunities for students who are more advantaged outside of the school to use and have more resources at their disposal than others who come from less privileged backgrounds.

I remember the early days of Covid-19 when we were looking at the arrangements we could put in place for students outside school to be able to complete their work in the various subjects. This was before the decision was taken to cancel the examinations that year. That was a real cause of concern for the State Examinations Commission. If we did not have those conditions of authentication and completion, then we were allowing the opportunity of the level of resource that students had to be brought to bear in the examination context.

I do not claim it is a perfect system; if it was a perfect system, we might not be here having the conversation about reform but the SEC does recognise there is a need to try to level the playing pitch. We do that within the examinations context by having very strong authentication procedures, that is, procedures for the integrity of the process. It does not address the broader question but within the senior cycle reform process, those issues have been brought to bear. A broader piece of work about which colleagues in the Department are exercised is how to address disadvantage within schools but that is not within my remit in discussing this issue.