Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important to reiterate that there have been changes, amendments and alterations to the paper. The papers have been tailored to meet the needs of the class of 2022. I will again specifically reference, as somebody who has worked in the area, that it is a considerable benefit that the number of CBAs has been reduced by 50%. To address the time issue raised by the Deputy, I know it is also a considerable benefit that the assessment task no longer takes place. The adjustments that have been made to practicals, including those for music, home economics, art and technologies, are of significant benefit.

It is also important to acknowledge that the junior cycle examination papers are completed in a booklet format, with students required to answer all questions. The papers are designed to assess the subject specifications in an integrated way, reflecting the way in which teachers’ expertise is used to plan for delivering the subjects using integrated strands and elements. Any adjustments made to these papers at this stage would make them fundamentally different from expectations and what students are expecting. They would be more likely to disadvantage rather than benefit students, while acknowledging yet again that there have been significant alterations to, and tailoring of, the papers to meet the needs of the class of 2022.

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