Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, which allows us to discuss and debate an extremely important issue, which is the format of the 2022 leaving certificate examination. As a former maths teacher at Mercy College Sligo, and as somebody who corrected State exams for more than 15 years, I am not an expert but I do have some insight. We are having this debate for very valid reasons, because of the very significant disruption for all leaving certificate students over the past two years. Some students suffered more than others, and for different reasons such as access to the Internet; the ability of 15- and 16-year-olds to manage self-learning and discipline their study; their space at home; their levels of maturity; and the fact that many of the students and teachers caught Covid or were close contacts who had to isolate for significant periods of school time. There is no uniformity here. One student might have had less disruption, while another would have had very significant disruption to their education and learning. Some students had to limit their time at school because of their underlying conditions, while others might have been living with vulnerable people. Some students might have had to take on certain extra responsibilities in the home that were Covid related. The students may have suffered long Covid. There is a very long list of valid reasons for students seeking a hybrid leaving certificate.

I listened carefully to what the Minister, Deputy Foley, said, and I am happy to accept that the Government significantly supported schools. I fully agree with the Minister's assertion that teachers, principals and boards of management put the education and well-being of their students first, and ensured that the system kept working despite very significant challenges and some very scary days. I listened to what the Minister said, and while I appreciate that various adjustments are being made to the leaving certificate exam for 2022, I am gravely concerned that they will not be enough, and that the adjustments the Minister referred to will, unfortunately, not be sufficient to take account of the different experiences of Covid disruption that different students had. For example, the Minister referred to greater choice. That is not enough. It could easily happen, and will happen for a percentage of students, that they must answer three out of six questions. They may have only covered three of the questions. This gives them no choice. Other students might be lucky enough to have covered five out of the six, which gives them a real choice. The Minister and I both know that this can happen by chance. It can happen that a student was absent in a particular week. It can happen because some parents can afford grinds to cover the gaps in the course. It can happen because some students are capable of self-learning. If it happens, and it will happen again and again, then some students will be disadvantaged and, despite the Minister's very best efforts, they will lose out.

The Minister also spoke about the rearranging the exam timetables, and holding oral exams during holiday time and out of school time. Many students use their Easter break for revision, to catch up, or indeed for a short break. All of that time will be eaten into and students will find their backs against the wall if they must sit oral exams then. In many ways, I believe that holding oral exams out of school time is a retrograde step because it puts students under further pressure, and this is the last thing that I want or that the Minister wants.

The Minister also said that she would increase the supply of teachers and substitutes, and she has. This is good, but we all know that this is a stopgap and that, in general, retaining one's own teacher is what makes the difference.

There will be time for a debate on the future of the leaving certificate when we have evaluated the current system and properly assessed the alternatives. We need to do that and we need to do it quickly but tonight we have an immediate and pressing issue to deal with. As a former teacher, as someone who loved who her job, and as someone who corrected exams, I strongly support maintaining the integrity of the exam system we are operating. We could change the system but while we are using it we must maintain its integrity.

Do not forget a traditional leaving certificate examination has its limitations. It is not always about the grades students receive on their exam papers, because they are often readjusted to conform with results in previous years. We know that the bell curve reigns supreme when it comes to the allocation of grades.

I will not be prescriptive about the type of hybrid leaving certificate we have. While not perfect, it will give greater certainty and clarity to students, and help our students and teachers to do what the Taoiseach asked all of us to do, that is, live with Covid.

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