Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted, including the supervision of examinations.

I am informed by the State Examinations Commission that it will again facilitate external candidates to take the leaving certificate examination in 2008. For years, approximately 4,000 external candidates have taken the leaving certificate examination each year. Those classified as external candidates include those attending non State-funded schools, VTOS students and independent candidates. External candidates may be admitted to the leaving certificate examination in one or more subjects on payment of the appropriate fee provided that there is a period of at least two years between the candidate's completion of transition year or the junior cycle, whichever is the later, and the sitting of the leaving certificate examination or, in the case of a candidate who has not been a recognised junior pupil or a transition year pupil, the candidate will have attained the age of 17 years on or before 31 July of the year of examination.

These provisions are designed to ensure that a student who has left school will not be in a position to sit the leaving certificate examination earlier than if he or she had remained at school. Essentially, a student will not be permitted to sit the leaving certificate examination in the year after the junior certificate examination or in the year after transition year.

In regard to where an external candidate takes his examinations, each candidate must select a centre for examination and seek the approval of the school principal to sit there. The candidate will be assigned to that centre provided he or she has obtained approval from the school principal and accommodation is available. School authorities have been very generous in accommodating external candidates and I place on record my thanks for their support for these students.

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