Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There was a disturbing, if alarmist, article in the Irish Daily Maillast week about leaving certificate and junior certificate exam marking. When I was a teacher I was involved in the marking of exam papers. At the time an examiner had to sign a document regarding confidentiality. It is possible I am now breaching that but hopefully Oireachtas protection will come into play. I have the utmost confidence in the marking system and the way in which the marking is administered by the Department. It is of real importance to young students who have given five years of study that their papers would be examined dispassionately, accurately and professionally.

However, there are always a few bad apples in every barrel which need weeding out. They can be difficult to identify and to deal with. I ask the Leader to request that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, extend the period of training for examiners. It is currently only two days in Athlone during which time they are to comprehend how the system works and how to put it into practice. This is not enough training, especially for new examiners. I understand it would incur some expense but I believe it should be extended to at least one full week. This may cut down and minimise the mistakes made in the marking of exam papers. It would also identify possible weak links - and in my experience there are very few - so they could be spotted and eliminated from the system in time. That is my response to the article in the Irish Daily Mail.