Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. While my question did not directly relate to examination components, they are a specific part of the concerns that have been raised and on which I want to focus. In the course of any new development process, there really should be a moment where people pause and are big enough to ask whether they have got the process right or if there are things that need to be changed. ISTA's document states:

Of the 101 learning outcomes in the "contextual"... strands... a total of 69 learning outcomes (68.3%) are unclear. Due to this lack of clarity, it is impossible for teachers to ensure that their students achieve these learning outcomes - and impossible for students to know if they have achieved them.

The concerns raised are very specific. They include referring to "primary data" when it is not necessary to use that term and referring to "secondary data" when that term is not relevant to the actual question. There is also a lack of clarity around laboratory practical investigations, which are mandatory, and the number of such investigations that will be required to meet the learning outcomes.

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