Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I am concerned about the revelations about the leaving certificate examinations. One of the flaws of the leaving certificate is that young people only get one opportunity. They work hard and a great deal of advice is given to students and parents about preparing for the examinations such as about getting enough sleep, drinking water, not staying up half the night and not cramming. Are we now to advise our children that they should look out for mistakes in examination papers? How are they supposed to know which is their mistake or the examiner's?

If we are going to give a lot of advice to young people on how best to achieve results, what advice are we going to give examiners on how best to achieve good examinations? It is disgraceful. I am heartbroken on behalf of all those children. As stated by Senator Hayden an error does not only cause upset in respect of the question concerned but in respect of all questions. It causes students to struggle and lose heart, leading to the whole examination going down the tubes for them. I cannot believe that no one has apologised for this.