Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received any request from history teachers to make more time available for the leaving certificate examination in history from two and a half to three and a half hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13828/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware that my Department has received any request from history teachers of this nature. Leaving certificate history is assessed by a terminal written examination of three hours duration. A revised syllabus will be examined for the first time in June 2006. Assessment will comprise two components, a terminal written examination in June and a research study report which will be submitted in March.

The written examination will be allocated 80% of the marks and will be of two hours and 30 minutes duration. The remaining 20% of marks will be allocated to the research study. The duration of the written paper has been reduced to take account of the addition of the second component. The combination of written examination and research study will ensure a broader range of student skills are assessed and that students' final marks will not depend on one terminal event.

These changes to the assessment of leaving certificate history have been recommended by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. Teachers are being fully informed of the approach required by the written examination and the research study through the support service which has been actively engaging with them for the last year and will continue to do so for the coming year.