Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 421: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown in subject area of the 2,063 successful appeals by students of the leaving certificate 2007 results; and the change in grades involved. [24692/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations.

The Commission issued a Press Release on 10th October giving details of the 2007 Leaving Certificate appeals by subject. A copy of the Press Release is included below for the Deputy's information.

The Press Release and other examination related information is available on the Commission's website www.examinations.ie

STATE EXAMINATIONS COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

LEAVING CERTIFICATE APPEALS 2007

10th October 2007

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has released the appeal results for the 2007 Leaving Certificate examination. Candidates will receive the results of their appeals today either through their school or through the on-line examination results service on www.examinations.ie. At 12 midday today the Leaving Certificate examination results available on www.examinations.ie will be updated to reflect the appeal outcomes. The appeal results are also being transmitted electronically to the Central Applications Office.

In 2007, the Leaving Certificate (Established and Vocational) examinations culminated in the issue of some 350,000 grades to 50,870 candidates. A total of 5,635 candidates made applications for appeals against 10,135, grades leading to 2,063 upgrades. Small numbers of appeals were also processed in subjects in the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.

In the processing of appeals, the work of each candidate is fully re-marked question by question using the original marking scheme. The re-marking is performed by a different examiner to the one who originally marked the work.

Candidates may opt to view their re-marked examination scripts. Candidates are required to complete the application form that accompanies the appeal results and to return it through the school that entered them for examination by Friday 12th October. Externally entered candidates should return the form directly to the SEC. All such applications must be with the SEC by 5 PM on Tuesday 16th October 2007. The viewing will be held in the Athlone office of the SEC on Saturday 20th October between 10.00 am and 4.00 p.m.

Candidates who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their appeal have recourse to the Independent Appeals Scrutineers. The Scrutineers' role is to ensure that due process has been followed in the case of each appeal and that all of the appeal procedures were properly carried out. The Scrutineers are independent of the State Examinations Commission and they have the power to request from the SEC all documentation relating to an appeal in conducting their investigations. Application forms for an appeal review by the Independent Appeal Scrutineers have been provided with the appeal results.

NUMBER AND OUTCOME OF APPEALS 2007

A total of 10,135 individual subject appeals were processed resulting in 2,063 upgrades. Details of the number and outcome of appeals are shown below for subjects in which more than 10 appeals were made.

Appeals were also made in Higher Level ;Agricultural Economics, Arabic, Classical Studies, Home Economics, Italian, Japanese, Religious Education, Romanian, and in Ordinary Level Accounting, Agricultural Science, Applied Mathematics, Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Construction Studies, Economics, Engineering, Geography, German, History, Home Economics S&S, Italian, Physics, and Technical Drawing; and in Foundation Level Irish and Mathematics. The figures do not include a small number of appeals which have yet to be finalised.