Dáil debates

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Topical Issue Debate

Health Professions Admission Test Administration

3:10 pm

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to the Minister of State's contribution but I continue to question the validity of the HPAT. I understand it has been recommended that students will only be allowed to sit the test once. In the interest of students who are currently studying for the leaving certificate or are cramming to resit the test, I urge that a decision be made to allow them to resit the test.

The test needs to be phased out or at least amended so that it is fit for purpose.

I draw the attention of the Minister of State to the following actual example. Three leaving certificate students all have higher mathematics in their top six subjects. Not including extra mathematics points, student A achieves 525 points, student B achieves 550 points and student C achieves 600 points. Adding the extra mathematics points, student A will have 550 points, student B will have 575 and student C will have 625 points, a perfect leaving certificate. With the introduction of HPAT, every five points over 550 is worth one point. Thus, student A achieves 550 points, student B has 555 and student C is reduced to 565 points. The system reduces the gap between 525 and 625 points to 15 points. This dismisses the months of work to achieve the difference between these two scores.

I urge greater transparency in our education system. Project Maths skewed the leaving certificate results this year. Some will say more students did honours and that 97% of them passed the paper. If students attempted all sections of the honours paper this year they achieved 49% of the total mark. In 2010, students who attempted all sections of the paper scored 38% of the overall mark. In Scotland, for example, the pass rate for students aged 18 on the advanced level mathematics paper was 66%. Ours was 97%. There is something glaringly wrong with our HPAT tests and with the correction of the Project Maths papers of June 2012.

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