Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

The Deputy will be aware that the leaving certificate is a terminal examination, carried out by external examiners. This contrasts with examination systems in other countries where assessment is conducted on a continuous basis or takes place at regular intervals and where some of the assessment is conducted by the student's teachers.

It is an inevitable consequence of a terminal, point-in-time system, such as the system we have, that some candidates will take certain tests at a time which they believe to be less than optimum. Each year the leaving certificate and junior certificate examinations give rise to many situations where real human needs, such as those highlighted by the Deputy, must be balanced by the requirement of equity for the general body of candidates. This is one of the greatest hurdles to be overcome in putting in place any system along the lines suggested by the Deputy. However, I would be more than willing to engage further with the Deputy in the coming weeks and to engage directly with the SEC to establish whether we could reassess the decision taken some time ago not to include the opportunity for repeat examinations for children or young people who experience trauma during examination time and to establish if any further progress can be made.

See this speech in context